
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 





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OUE HOMES; 

HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ENGRAVINGS. 



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NEW YORK : 

0. JUDD CO., DAVID W. JUDD, Pres't. 

751 BROADWAY. 

1888. 



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Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1887, by the 

O. JUDD CO., 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



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PUBLISHER'S PREFACE. 



The taste for beautifying homes has steadily and 
rapidly developed during the past ten years. The Cen- 
tennial Exhibition (1876) with its exhaustless art treas- 
ures gave a decided impetus to this taste, while the teach- 
ings of Kuskin, East lake, and Morris have tended to refine 
and educate it. The introduction of Japanese articles of 
vertu has likewise among other causes given a decided 
impulse to decorative art in the United States. 

It is not alone the mansions of wealth and luxury 
which have experienced the results of this decorative ad- 
vancement, but the humble homes everywhere through 
the land reveal the beautifying touch of taste and skill. 

This volume aims to aid those who desire to ornament, 
decorate, and beautify their homes with the labors of 
their own handiwork. It contains suggestions and direc- 
tions for such household adornment as can be made in 
spare moments, requiring merely good taste and skill. 



TABLE OP CONTENTS. 



Chapter I. 

"p A rj,|J<C! 

Walls and Wall Decorations 7-33 

Treatment of Walls; Wall Shelves and Cabinets; a 
Corner Cabinet; Pictures and Hanging them; Picture 
Frames; Whisk-broom Holder; Fans, Feathers, and 
Foliage; What to Do with the Clock; Fan-screen for 
Piano; Brackets; Receptacles for Newspapers; Match 
Receivers; Dangle Boards for keys, etc.; A Photograph 
Receiver. 

Chapter II. 
Carpets, Curtains, and Drapery 33-52 

Selecting Carpets; Making Rag Carpets; Window 
Shades and Curtains; Window Lambrequins; Mantel 
Lambrequins; Deck Mantels; Portiferes or Doorway 
Curtains; Table and Piano Covers; Chair Tidies. 



Chapter III. 

Hand -made Decorative Furniture 53-76 

Pretty and Comfortable Chairs; Ornamental Chair- 
backs ; A Decorated Milking stool ; Ebonizing and 
Staining Wood; Home-made Couch; Decorative Tables; 
Desks and Book-shelves ; Foot-rest and Step ; Trans- 
forming an old Wash-stand ; New use for Peach 
Baskets; Group of Home made Adornments. 

Chapter IV. 
Screens, Plaques, and Panels 77-93 

Screens for General Purposes; Home-made Plaques; 
Lamp Shades and Screens; Decorative Panels; A Match 
Scratch. 

Chapter V. 
Decorations of Flowers and Plants 94-108 

Arranging Flowers for the Home; Plants in Windows; 
Floral Awnings; The Ivy as a Decorative Plant; Dried 
Grasses and other Plants. 



Vi CONTENTS. 

Chapter VI. 

PAGES 

Dining Room and Table Decorations 109-118 

Tray Cloths for the Table; Teapot Coseys; Decora- 
tions for the Table; To Keep the Pitcher Cool. 

Chapter VII. 

Fitting up Bedrooms 119-153 

Our Sleepino- Rooms ; Handkerchief Pillow-sham; 
Design for a Hop Pillow; Pincushions for Toilet Table; 
Bedroom Toilet Set; Home-made Rugs; A Worsted 
Lamp Mat; Home-made Toilet Table; Japanese Card- 
receiver; Mirror Decorations ; Ornamental Towel-rack; 
Screens or splashers; Fancy Toilet Set; Wall Bags and 
Pockets; Cases for Shaving-papers; Handkerchief Sofa- 
pillow; Closets and Wardrobes; A Picturesque Bed- 
room; Slipper-cases; Smokers' Articles. 

Chapter VIII. 

How to Make the Kitchen Pleasant 153-158 

Tidy Wood-boxes ; Pockets for Dust-cloths ; Orna- 
mental Rag-bag; Clothes-pin Apron; A Record Cushion; 
Receptacle for Soiled Clothes. 

Chapter IX. 

Christmas and Easter Decorations 159-176 

Dressing the Home for Christmas; The Christmas 
Tree; Home-made Christmas Cards; Easter Decorations; 
Decorated Easter Eggs; Decorations for Valentine's 
Day. 

Chapter X. 

Hints for Decorative Work 177-198 

Fancy Work for Ladies; Making Paper Flowers; 
Smyrna Rugs; Pattern for Canvas; Some Fancy Stitches; 
Drawn Work for Decorations; Scroll Sawing; Line 
Carving in Wood; Embroidered Monograms; Lava 
Work, or Vesuvium; Decorated Baskets; Carriage 
Robes. 



OUR HOMES; 

HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



CHAPTER I. 

WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 

TKEATMEl^T OF WALLS. 

The usual material for inner walls is plaster, either 
hard-finished or left in the rough coat. A hard-finished 
wall, glaring white, imparts to a room a cold, unhomelike 
aspect, which cannot be wholly overcome by any amount 
of decoration. A lime wash, renewed once a year, is a 
healthful and wholesome finish, but it is no less so if also 
made agreeable to the eye by being tinted with dry color. 
Rough-finished walls are treated in the same manner. 
There are ways of preparing these washes, using dry colors 
in them. The lime is slaked very smooth, and thickened 
with smooth flour paste, adding salt. It does not rub 
off, nor peel, like kalsomine, nor does it perceptibly alter 
the rough surface of the wall. When kalsomine is used, 
the wall, if an old one, must have all the loose lime well 
scraped off, and be sized thoroughly with glue-water, 
before the wash is applied. Kalsomine is made of glue, 
Paris white, and dry color for tinting. In selecting tints, 
for parlor, sitting-room, and bedrooms, delicate or warm 
neutral tints should be preferred; especially avoid cold 
colors. A very little yellow ochre, with a little Indian 



8 

red, burnt umber, or burnt sienna, will produce a variety 
of tints, as little oif white as desired, which give the 
room a warm, pleasing look to the eye, and bring out and 
harmonize colors of carpets, curtains, portieres, and fur- 
niture. Many are fond of dark, strong colors, especially 
for halls, dining-rooms, and libraries. Here, instead of 
light buffs, warm drabs and other pale tints, the colors 
may be reddish brown, maroon, golden brown, olive, steel- 
blue, or green. Some gilt introduced with these adds 
very much to the effect. Not long ago, painted walls 
were much used; when flat-finished, that is, entirely 
without gloss, the effect was pleasing, but the walls were 
hard to clean, as many paints looked clouded when 
water was applied to wash them ; whereas, coated with a 
paint which formed a smooth, glossy surface, that 
could be cleaned by being washed or wiped off, it was 
cold, hard, and pleasing to no one. They are rarely 
seen in these days, when more attention is paid to aes- 
thetic effects. 

Paper is, after all, the favorite wall -covering. There 
is such an almost infinite variety of color and style 
to select from, that nothing is a surer indication of 
either natural or cultivated good taste than their proper 
choice. It is well to bear in mind that the paper of a 
room need not be all of one pattern. Some pleasant 
effects are produced by what is called a '' dado'' — like an 
old-time wainscoting — of a different pattern, and some- 
times of darker shades of the same color as the paper of 
the rest of the wall. The old-fashioned simple narrow 
borders have been deepened into friezes, for high rooms, 
twelve to eighteen inches in depth. These should not 
be dark, as they have the effect of lowering the ceiling; 
but if light, and, where appropriate, some gilt is intro- 
duced, and if not too broad, a room can be made to look 
much higher. Another important fact for economical 
people is that the aesthetics of wall-paper is quite inde- 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 9 

pendent of its price. Many of the cheapest papers have 
delicate tints and pretty, inconspicuous figures, and 
work in admirably with pleasantly contrasting dados and 
friezes. Glaring contrasts in color and large patterns 
should be avoided. Neutral tints which harmonize and 
blend agreeably with the furniture and carpets are the 
most desirable. Rooms with low ceilings appear higher 
if the paper has vertical stripes. 

In some modern houses, beautiful effects have- been 
produced in certain rooms by a revival of the ancient 
custom of using tapestry hangings. Anything suitable 
for this purpose used to be very costly, but now there 
are draperies of all prices. Furniture sateens, moreens, 
brocades, and even ingrain carpets have been used. 
When walls are to be treated in this way, they should 
have strips of wood attached to them wherever it is nec- 
essary to tack the material. Where figured goods are 
used, care should be taken to match the figures, and to 
have a border of some suitable material at the ceiling. 
In libraries, dining-rooms, or halls, a wooden wainscoting 
of hard wood is used, with the material put on plain or 
in box-plaits above. As a general thing, however, tap- 
estry is not desirable in a house, and, if used at all, it 
calls for the exercise of a high degree of taste and skill, 
and requires constant care to keep its folds free from 
dust. It is very easy to overdo the matter of drapery in 
a house, and plain walls are preferable to an unskillful 
use of hangings. 

WALL SHELVES AND CABINETS. 

Hanging shelves for books or other articles are very 
convenient in the sitting-room^ dining-room or bedroom. 
They are readily removed when the whitewash or paper 
on the wall is to be renewed. Hanging shelves may • be 
made very cheaply of walnut, maple or birch, half an 
inch thick. Ea .h shelf is to be twenty inches to two feet 



10 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



long, rounded at the two fi'ont corners. A hole is bored 
through each corner for the supporting cord. *The 
twisted white wire cord is much stronger and more reli- 
able than string of any kind. Pieces of board the same 

thickness and width 
as the shelves are cut 
as long as it is desired 
to have the shelves 
apart. Then one end 
of the wire cord is put 
down through a hole 
in the lowest shelf, 
brought up through 
the opposite hole, and 
drawn through until 
the middle of the cord 
is left under the bot- 
tom of the shelf. The 
other cord is secured 
likewise, and addi- 
tional shelves are then 
strung on, the short 
pieces are set up be- 
tween the shelves to 
support them, and the 
whole is suspended to 
the wall by a strong 
screw, or, what is 
much better, a screw- 
hook made for the 

l.-A WALL CABINET. purpOSC. If it Is dc- 

sired to impart a more decorative character, fringes or 
lambrequins may be attached to the front edge of each 
shelf, or a curtain hung from the top, to fall over the 
whole. 

A more permanent arrangement is the wall cabinet. 




FIG. 



WALLS AN-D WALL DECO RATIO J^TS. 11 

shown in Fig. 1. It is made of walnut or other wood, 
three eighths of an inch thick. Length of back and 
sides thh'ty inches, width of sides seven inches. Length 
of shelves twelve inches, with shoulders one inch long and 
one inch wide, having slots cut for pins, Figs. 2 and 3. 
The shelf above is four inches wide, with slots like the 
others. Ornament over the door two and a quarter inches 
wide. — The door is in one piece, sawed in panels with 
strips screwed to back to strengthen it and hold glass. 
One light of glass, ten by twelve, placed on back of the 
door is much more convenient than several small lights, 
and equally as good. All is fastened together by the 




FIG. 2.— ORNAMENT ABOVE DOOR. 

wooden pins, except the back to door. — To lay out the 
ornamental pattern, cut a card or small piece of paste- 




FIG. 3. — FORM OF SHELF. 

board in shape of an acorn or leaf and mark around it ; 
the designs will then be all alike. — The size may be 
changed to suit taste or convenience. 



A CORNER CABINET. 



The cabinet shown in Fig. 4 can be made very orna- 
mental. The case is of black walnut, with panels of 
light wood. Wild roses are painted on one panel, and 
rushes on the other. There are three ph elves to hold vials. 



u 



OL'R HOMKS; now TO IJEAUTIFY THEM. 



Below is a drawer for court-plaster, pieces of linen, string, 
I etc. A lambrequin of vel- 

veteen, embroidered and 
edged with fringe, gives a 
handsome finish to the cabi- 
net, while the top can be used 
as a shelf for a vase or 
other ornamental object. 
The lamj) may be kept there 
during the day. 

PICTURES AND HAKGING 
THEM. 

No other wall decoration 
ministers to a refined taste as 
much as plenty of good pic- 
tures. Some one has said 
that ^'pictures are windows 
through which one looks out 
into the ideal.'' In these 
days of really excellent en- 
gravings and piints at low 
prices, all can afford to have 
them. The arts of wood- and 
photo-engraving have attain- 
ed such a high degree of ex- 
cellence, that pictures are 
cheaply produced by those processes which are well wor- 
thy of a place on the walls of refined homes. Chro- 
mos of the style of fifteen years ago are little seen in 
the market except as -^^ premiums. '^ They have been 
largely supplanted by really beautiful colored prints, not 
made to imitate oil-paintings on canvas, but sold for 
just what they are. 

To produce a decorative and pleasing effect, pictures 
must be hung symmetrically. In paintings or colored 




FIG. 4. — CORNER CABINET. 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 13 

prints, violent contrasts of tone should not be brought 




FIG. 5.— FRAME OF WOOD MOULDING. 

near together. If a picture in which blue, green, or sil- 
ver-gray is the prevailing tone is hung beside another in 



14 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

glowing reds and yellows, a discordant effect is produced, 
injurious to both. As to size, the largest should be 
given a central position, with the smaller grouped taste- 
fully around it. A very common mistake is to hang 
them too high: artists call it '^^ skying ^^ them. It is 
usual to hang them so that the tops shall project for- 
ward, otherwise there is a glaring reflection which 
strikes the eye and prevents the picture being seen. 
This is done by placing the screw-eyes in the back of 
the frame low enough to obtain the right angle. 

Picture mouldings have largely replaced the old-fash- 
ioned spikes with movable heads. These mouldings are 
made of walnut, ebonized, or other wood, with or with- 
out gilt beads, or in all gilt. They are firmly fastened 
to the wall near the top, unless the ceiling is very high, 
in which case they are fastened just below the frieze or 
border. Hooks which fit these mouldings are sold by all 
dealers in picture-frames and paper-hangings. Twisted 
wire cord is much stronger and more durable than the 
strings formerly used. It comes in silver or gilt, of va- 
rious thicknesses. It is best to use the smallest size 
compatible with the weight of the picture which it is 
to support. 

PICTURE-FRAMES. 

An oil-painting looks best in a gilt frame, but even 
for them a costly and elaborate moulding is not indis- 
pensable. Very handsome frames are made of ash or 
chestnut, covered with Dent^s gold paint ; but in this case 
a light beading of burnished gilding next to the picture 
greatly improves the effect. Oil-paintings require heavier 
frames than other pictures. Colored prints and engrav- 
ings have wide margins, and a light inconspicuous frame 
shows off the picture much better than a more conspicu- 
ous one. Whatever the picture may be, the frame 
should not only be sightly in itself, but ought also to 



"WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 15 

harmonize with its surroundings. A frame may be 
made at home by the exercise of taste and skill, which 
will go farther to make a home attractive than a gor- 
geous and costly gilt moulding. Fig. 5 shows a plain 
wood moulding such as can be made by any person 
'^'^ handy with tools.^' The material is about an inch 
thick, and may be of walnut, maple, poplar, birch, or 
any handsome wood, oiled and rubbed down on the 









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FIG. 6.— FRAME OF PLUSH AND SATIN. 

grain, or of pine covered with bronze-powder. Sprays 
of twigs and foliage are painted across two of the cor- 
ners in rather subdued colors. 

A frame suitable for photographic portraits or small 
bright pictures is shown at Fig. 6. The frame is made 
of pine covered with satin ribbon, shirred on the edges 
and fastened with small tacks. The panel is of stout 



16 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

junk-board cut to fit the inside of the frame, with an 
oval or diamond- shaped opening to receive the picture. 
The panel is covered with plush, garnet, seal-brown, or 
old gold in color, to liarmonize with the satin, fitted 
smoothly, and turned in at the opening. This is backed 
by a similar piece of pasteboard, to which the picture is 
fastened, with glass over it. After all is put together 
a sheet of stout paper pasted over the back will hold all 
'together and exclude dust. 

The horseshoe frame, Eig. 7, is a very neat style for 




FIG. 7. — HORSESHOE FRAME. 

small pictures. The horseshoe is sawed of pine board 
in two equal pieces, each piece making half the frame. 
They are glued together at the top, and the whole cov- 
ered with plush of any suitable color. A panel of paste- 
board is cut an inch larger than the opening in the shoe, 
the opening cut for the picture, and covered with vel- 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 17 

vet. This piece is tacked on the back of the frame. The 
nail-holes in the shoe are imitated with bits of the dark 
velvet glued on. The back is covered with muslin, and 
screw-eyes are placed in it, through which to run a cord 




FIG. 8, — PICTURE-FRAME OF FUNGUS. 

to suspend it by. The picture and glass are fastened in 
the centre, the panel of velvet ornamented with some 
natural grasses, and a butterfly fastened. A little glue 



18 



OUR homes: how to beautify them. 



on each stem will keep them in place^, thus making the 
arrangement complete. 

A fungus frame^ Fig. 8, is one of the richest in its 
effect that can be made, and looks well in almost any 
situation. The fungus used is the kind known to science 
at 2^oly2)orus3 and is found on old trees, living or dead. 




FIG. 9.— POLYPORUS FUNGUS. 



as shown in Fig. 9. There are many varieties, each 
one having a color of its own, when cut transversely 
across the pores. Those found upon the hemlock are 
of various shades of brown ; those growing upon the 
beech and maple are also brown, but generally of i? 
lighter shade ; while those taken from the birch are, in 
color, buff of various shades. The grain of the birch 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 



19 



fungus is very beautiful ; it resembles, in a marked 
degree, the grain of veneering sawed from the large 
knots or excrescences grown upon forest birches, which 
equal in beauty the French walnut. The fibre of this 
fungus is less woody, and more cork-like, than the others. 
The frames are made by sawing off the lower side of the 
fungus, and then cutting it into thin slices. Unless one 
piece can be found large enough for the frame, smaller 




FIG. 10.— FAN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS. 



pieces are glued upon a pine frame, care being used to 
match the pieces so neatly as to conceal the junction. 
This kind of fungus may be largely employed in decora- 
tive work of various kinds. 

A novel receptacle for a photograph is made of a Jap- 
anese fan, as shown in Fig. 10. For an imperial 
picture, a fan of the ordinary size will be needed. Cut 
a square or oval opening in the centre of the fan, and 



30 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

cover it on the outside with light blue or bright red 
satin. Select a few small peacock-feathers, and sew 
on the fan as seen in the engraving, cutting them in two 
where it is needed. Baste a lining of silesia on the other 
side, and overhand the edges neatly together around the 
opening, but not the outside edge. Cut a fan out of 
card-board of the same size as the body of the one 
already covered. Cover it on both sides with silesia, and 
overhand the two together, leaving a space large enough 
at the top to slip in the picture. Finish the fan on the 
edge with a gold cord ; having tied a bow of satin ribbon 
of some pleasing shade of color on the handle, sew two 
small brass rings on the back to hang it up by. 

FAI^S, FEATHERS AKD FOLIAGE. 

Japanese fans are largely employed as wall decorations. 
They are very cheap, and when arranged with taste and 
skill are very effective in giving color and brightness to a 
room. No specific directions can be given as to their ar- 
rangement, for good taste must govern in this as in other 
matters of home decorations. It is well to arrange them 
in shadowy angles and other places, then study the 
effect and make such changes as suggest themselves 
until the desired result is produced. Peacock^s feathers, 
used sparingly, also form very handsome and showy dec- 
orations. Autumn leaves when properly prepared and ar- 
ranged retain their bright, rich colors for a long time, and 
are very serviceable. When first gathered they should be 
pressed with a hot iron between two sheets of soft paper 
to expel the moisture or they will wrinkle and curl in 
drying. A very thin coating of paraffine or wax is 
sometimes given. The leaves are arranged according to 
their individual character. Maple and similar broad 
leaves look well in masses; the brilliant crimson leaves 
of sumac should be mingled with paler colors, and a fine 



WALLS AlsB WALL DECORATIONS. 



21 



effect is produced by stringing together the sprays of Vir- 
ginia creeper, and arranging them in graceful festoons 
and wreaths over and between windows. Wax leaves 
and flowers are sometimes emjjloyed in a similar maner, 
but they require much attention to keep clear of dust. 

WHISK-BROOM HOLDER. 

To make the holder for an ordinary whisk-broom shown 
in Fig. 11, cut a piece of pasteboard seven and one half 




FIG. 11.— WHISK-BROOM HOLDER. 



inches square, and cover it on both sides with silk, or 
satin, if it is to be painted. A very pretty cover can be 
made of figured satin or cretcmne for every-day use. 
Fold it as shown in the engraving, and fasten a bow of 



22 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



satin ribbon on the front, to cover the place where 
the two corners join. 

WHAT TO DO WITH THE CLOCK. 

A very neat device for a pretty mantel clock is shown 
in Fig. 12. The shelf and cabinet are made of three- 
eighths inch walnut or other hard wood. The back and 
sides are twenty inches long; the door ten inches square. 
The shelf is fourteen inches long and five inches wide. 
A lower shelf, nine and a fourth inches long and four 




PIG. 12.— CLOCK-SHELF AND CABINET. 



inches wide, is inserted just at the lower edge of the 
cloor, and forms the bottom of the cabinet. As will be 
seen, the shelf is supported by the upright pieces, whose 
lower ends are slanted off from the bottom of the cabi- 
net. Such an arrangement would be available only in 
case the clock possessed some beauty of its own. But 
the plainest and most inartistic style of clock may be 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIOITS. 



23 



made to assist in decorating the room, by means of an 
old cigar- box covered with phish. Cut a hole in the 
bottom of the box, large enough to "admit the face of the 
clock, cover the box neatly with plush, cut the opening 
in the plush an inch smaller than the one in the box, 
slash it around, and draw it through, and glue it to the 
inside of the box. The lid should be covered separately, 
and fastened on the box with small hinges, or by means 




FIG. 13. — ANOTHER PATTERN. 



of pieces of muslin glued on the inside, to serve as 
hinges. Fasten the clock securely in the box. The 
vine may be either embroidered or painted; if embroi- 
dered, it must be done before the covering is put on. 
Cover a small shelf for the clock with the same material, 
and finish it around the edge with fringe. Fig. 13 
shows another pattern for the plush cover. A neat bow 
of satin ribbon is added in one corner. 



24 



OXTB homes: how to BEAUTEFT TBTIC. 




Tlir rS'M-ri, shown 
for z::— :ir the oI'X 
mometer 
wood. It L^ :^ 
phish drawn 



in Fig. 14 
k -and ther- 
eat of 
. nil brown 

OTer it and 



throngh :' .^ made for the 

dock, an 1 „^ it on the back. 

The centre is woven with yellow silk 

cord: small tack& are pla^d aroand 

the edge at a certain distance apurt, 

and the c<Hd wound »oiind then 

from side to side to form the Uods; 

-.z.i Tacks are concealed with a heaTj 

: ~:i plnsh cord. A bow of satin 

::l the color of the phish is tied 

1: _e handle^ with a loop of 

_T -eft on the hack to hang it 

The clock is &gtened in se- 

c f themioiiietffl' tacked 

^ : _ very ample way of 

FIG. 14— ra: ;-i:r ::. l . :he clock and thermometer, 

and at the same ume iornii a pretty ad»nment tor the 

waD. 



There are few accessories :: ii — r '-r:.-::^'i 
which combine a greater d^ree 

than tastefid brackets. They m^^v .c ^ . 

walnut or other hard wood, ofl-finished, or of 
pine eoneealed by drapery, and held in place either by 
screws suspended by screw-eyes in the dielf, oar screw- 
hooks in the walL Fig. 15 shows a very neat design for 
a comer bracket. The shelf may project twelre to 
eighteen inches from the inner comer, with rounded 
front. The cover may be of felt or other suitable ma- 
teriaL Cur one piece for the top two inches larger than 



WALLS AXD WALL DECORATIONS. 'io 

the board, so that it can be tacked down over the edges. 
Cut a straight piece, ten to twelve inches deep, accord- 
ing to the size of the bracket, and long enough to go 
around its front. Trim this piece with a band of a con- 
uusting color about two and a half inches wide; finish 




FIG. 15.— A COEXEB BRACKET. 



the lower edge with fringe, and seam the two pieces to- 
gether. Dark red felt, with a band of deep gray or brown 
plush, makes a pretty cover. The good part of a worn- 
out coat can often be used. Many kinds of gray or 
brown cloth are very good on the wrong side, after the 
right side is quite worn and faded, and by cleaning and 
pressing it may be made to look almost as well as new 
cloth. A band of embroidered canvas may be used in 
place of the plush, or some pattern may be worked di- 



26 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



rectly on the stuff. Lambrequins similar to patterns 
shown elsewhere may also be used. 

A very quaint bracket is made with a pair of polished 
horns for support. The base of each horn encloses a 
block of pine, which is first cut to fit neatly into the 
horn, and is then screwed to the board which forms the 
back of the bracket. The shelf is held in place by 
screws through the back into the rear edge, and one 
screw running through it into each horn. This style 
of bracket is peculiarly suitable for a library. 

FAN SCEEEN for PIAI^O. 

A novel drawing-room decoration is shown in Fig. 16. 
It is an immense fan, at least three feet across, formed 
of peacock feathers, to be placed behind a piano or or- 
gan. If the latter, it is made the full length of the in- 



.^r% 




^ ^BlM'M 



% m-JM-m'^^f' 



FIG. 16.— A PEACOCK PIANO FAN. 

strument. Cut a half-circle from heavy book-binder^s 
board, and cover both sides with dark green cambric. 
On this arrange the feathers, using the largest for the 
outer edge; sew them firmly and regularly to the foun- 
dation, and finish with a large double bow of bright satin 
ribbon without ends. It is then tacked to the wall with 
small nails. 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 



27 



MATCH-RECEIVER. 

The receptacle for burnt ends of matches, shown in 
Fig. 17, is made of a small tin dip- 
per with upright handle, such as is 
used by milkmen. Cut a piece of 
black cloth the width of the cup, 
and long enough to fit snugly around 
it. Baste points of yellow felt on it, 
and then work them with black floss; 
work the black points with yellow, 
and sew it around the cup. Make 
little tassels of the black floss, and 
attach them at each yellow point. 
Cover the handle by cutting two 
pieces of the black cloth a seam's 
width wider than the handle, trim 
the front as seen in the engraving, 
and sew the pieces together on one 
side in a seam, and overhand the 
other side together after basting 
them around the handle. Tie a bow 
of yellow satin ribbon through the 
ring by which it is suspended, at the fig. 17.— matchre- 
top of the handle. ceiver. 




DANGLE-BOARDS FOR KEYS, ETC. 

There are many very neat devices for hanging keys, 
button-hooks, and similar small articles. The one shown 
in Fig. 18 is made of an ear of corn. It is first given 
two coats of varnish, and when the second one is just 
dry enough to acquire the right "tack," it is covered 
with gold-leaf or bronze-powder. Five brass hooks are 
then screwed into it, bows of bright-colored ribbon are 
tacked on the ends, and also a piece of the same is used 
to hang it up by. Another way to make these articles 
is to saw a padlock or horseshoe out of a piece of cherry 



28 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

or walnut wood, oil and polish it, and screw in the hooks. 




FIG. 18.— ORNAMENTAL EAR OF CORN. 

A bow of ribbon is tied on each side of the padlock. 

Another form, shown in Fig. 19, combines a key- 
board and watch-case. It is 
made of a toy rolling-pin, po- 
tato-masher and a piece of 
half-inch pine board. A hole 
is sawed in the board, half an 
inch larger in diameter than 
the watch it is to hold. Cut 
away the lower half of one 
side of the rolling-pin, so the 
board can be tacked to it. 
The upper part of the pin 
being left round, it will keep 
the board and watch from 
contact with the wall. Gild 
the board, rolling-pin, and po- 
tato-masher, or, if preferred, 
they may be covered with 
plush. Cut a piece of plush 
an inch larger than the open- 
ing in the board, and tack it 

PIG. 19.— BOLLTNG-piN "WATCH- ou tlic back ovcr it. Screw 
^^^^- a brass hook into the board, 

upon which to hang the watch-chain. The potato-masher 




WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 



29 



has three screws in it upon which to hang keys, button- 
hook, etc. Tie a bow of ribbon on each end of the 
rolling-pin, and another bow at the top of the ribbon on 
which it is suspended. The masher is suspended by a 
similar ribbon. 



A PHOTOGRAPH-RECEIVER. 

The hanging receiver for photographs seen in Fig. 
20 is made of dark-brown plush, with forget-me-nots 
embroidered in light blue. 
First cut out the foundation or 
back, which should be of heavy 
pasteboard, seven and a half in- 
ches wide, and as long as desired. 
It can be half as long again as 
in the engraving. The pieces 
for the outside are seven and a 
half inches wide, the top cut in 
squares measuring an inch 
and a half each way, and long 
enough to lap over one another. 
The forget-me-not spray on the 
top of each piece should be em- 
broidered before it is covered. 
Baste the plush neatly on the 
pasteboard, and line it with 
light blue silk or silesia. When 
all the flaps are finished ni this 
manner, sew them firmly to the 
plush-covered back. If the 
sprays are painted instead of 
embroidered, it can be done 
better after it is all finished. 
Fasten the top to a brass ban- 
ner-rod, and hang the receivei with a light blue silk 
cord. 




FIG. 



20.— A PHOTOGRAPH- 
RECEIVER. 



30 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



EECEPTACLES FOR KEWSPAPERS. 

It is presupposed that newspapers are taken in every 
family, and there is almost a necessity for some accessible 
place to keep them oS. the tables. Many very pretty 
articles for this purpose are offered in the market, but 
far handsomer ones can be made at home. A portfolio- 
shaped wall-pocket may be made of heavy junk-board. 
Cut two pieces eighteen inches long and twelve inches 
wide for the back, and two pieces the same length and 
ten inches wide for the front. The back pieces are cov- 
ered vfith gray linen, and sewed or bound together. 
The inner piece of the front is also faced with linen. 
The outside piece is covered with bronze-green felt, with 
corners of a darker shade, worked on with featherrstitch 
in black silk floss. The bands are of darker shade, 
worked with bright colored silks in various hues. The 
band is fastened on the front with '' blind stitch.^' The 
long stitches which go across from one edge of the band 
to the other are of bright yellow brown; the shorter 
stitches which cross them are of dark red and light blue, 
and the stitches which extend outwards from the edge 
of the band are of black and pink silk. The bands are 
put on before the felt is attached to the pasteboard. 
After the two front pieces are put together, the back 
and front are sewed together along the bottom, and a 
cord is attached to the front piece near the top, taken 
through two holes in the back, and fastened. Three 
brass rings are firmly sewed to the upper edge of the 
back, by which the rack is hung against the wall. 

A quite unique and ornamental bellows-shaped rack 
is shown in Fig. 21. The front and back are sawed 
out of a strip of half-inch pine board. The body part 
measures twelve by fourteen inches; the handles and 
tip are made in proportion; the tip is on one piece 
only, painted black or made of hard wood ebonized. 



WALLS AND WALL DECORATIONS. 31 

The front piece is covered with plush, drawn smoothly 
over it and tacked on the back; a piece of muslin, 
the color of the plush, is cut half an inch larger than 
the board, the edges of it are turned in, and it is over- 
handed on the plush. The back is covered, on both 
sides with the muslin. A ring is fitted into a groove 
in the back handle, and held by a piece of leather 
tacked on. Pieces of broad satin ribbon are tacked on 
the front, and tied diagonally across it in a bow, a 




FIG. 21.— BELLOWS- SHAPED NEWSPAPER RACK. 

little below the centre; some dried grasses and grain 
are stuck through the bow. The back and front are 
joined with pieces of the plush, lined with the muslin, 
cut fan-shaped, and plaited in each side to appear like the 
leather of a bellows. They are tacked to the edges with 
brass nails. 

A pretty and serviceable receptacle for newspapers 
and magazines may be made of an ordinary wire broiler. 



32 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



Fig. 22. Break or cut off one handle, wind wide sill 
or satin ribbon all around the frame, and cover the re 
maining handle. Then braid ribbon of another color ii 
and out, across the wires of the front part, and the sides 
leaving the remainder plain. Pull the ribbons tigh 




FIG. 22. — PAPER POCKET OF WIRE AND RIBBOH". 

around the corners at the bottom, and as they are workei 
upwards, gradually leave them looser so as to form 
wedge-shaped pocket. Fasten a bow made of the sam 
ribbons to one side of the front, and another over th 
ring on the handle. 



CHAPTER 11. 
CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 

SELECTI^-G CAEPETS. 

A CARPET is like the background of a picture, it brings 
into effect the whole. Styles for carpets have entirely 
changed within a few years. Patterns in huge bouquets 
of impossible flowers used to be seen almost everywhere; 
now a very small, set figure, so small as to look almost 
like a plain color at a little distance, is in better taste. 

A very good modern fashion is to have a bordered car- 
pet or rug, considerably smaller than the room, leaving 
a broad margin on all sides, next to the walls. This 
margin is either stained to imitate black walnut, painted 
some appropriate color, or covered with marqueterie 
wood-carpeting or some substitute. The wood-carpet- 
ing is made in very beautiful patterns, and is extremely 
durable, but the first cost is considerable. A very good 
substitute is made by covering the floor next to the walls 
with thick building paper, glued down. Then wall-paper 
of some suitable pattern is pasted to this. The patterns 
printed in imitation]of oak, walnut or other woods are the 
most suitable. The stripes should not run lengthwise of 
the margin, but at right angles with the wall, and mitred 
at the corners of the room. When the paper is thor- 
oughly dry it is sized with two successive coats of clear 
starch. When the starch is dry, it is given two or three 
coats of shellac varnish. 

An arrangement of this kind, which admits of remov- 
ing the carpet as frequently as necessary for cleaning it 
and the floor, is far more cleanly and healthful than to 
3 



34 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

have a carpet nailed to the floor and only removed for 
cleaning once or twice a year, when dense masses of dust 
have accumulated beneath it. If a tidy housekeeper 
could see through the carpets the amount of dirt cover- 
ing her floors, she would be horrified. Besides, clouds 
of dust arise at every sweeping and poison the air for 
those who breathe it. Xo one who has once tried cov- 
ering only the middle of the room with a carpet or rug 
would go back to the old untidy way. 

MAKIN^G RAG CARPETS. 

Ingrain and other carpets are now in the market of 
such 2oretty patterns and low prices that rag carpets are 
much les-s popular than formerly. Yet making them has 
not been relegated to a place among the lost arts. Rag 
carpets supply to many families comforts otherwise un- 
attainable ; they are durable, and the preparation of the 
rags is a work for odd moments, and one which may 
often serve to keep children busy and amused. 

Such carpets turn to useful account many a fragment 
which would otherwise be tlirown away, old furniture 
covers, garments, etc., without strength enough for any 
other good purpose. Cotton, woollen, or silk come into 
play equally well, if they are barely strong enough to be 
cut and wound into balls. Half an inch wide is the gen- 
eral rule, a little wider if rotten or very thin, and nar- 
rower for thick woollen stuff. The narrower they are 
cut, the further they will go in making length, of course 
at the expense of thickness. A pound of rags to the 
yard is the general calculation, though one of the nicest 
carpets of the kind is a yard and three quarters to the 
pound. For warp, bale cotton No. 6, containing thirty 
hanks to the bunch, is best, though No. 7 will answer 
and goes further. The Aveaver's allowance is two hanks 
to the yard for nearly yard-wide carpet^ but two hanks 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AKD DRAPERY. 35 

should be allowed for cross-threads. Two bunches of 
" No. 6 will therefore make twenty-eight yards of woven 
carpet, and of No. 7 forty-four yards. Warp doubled, 
and not twisted, will be found to wear best. 

Here is an important point for the inexperienced. In 
weaving, have a shuttle filled with the warp cotton and 
weave in two threads between the strip of rags. It will 
greatly strengthen the carpet, and if the warp is of fresh 
strong cotton, the carpet will wear* until one is perhaps 
tired of it, or rich enough to buy a more costly one. It 
is questionable, however, whether any other carpet ever 
gives so much real pleasure as the rag one which was the 
result of one's own contrivance and patience. 

To color the warp, divide it into two equal portions, 
and with a twenty-five-cent package of logwood, dye 
half black, using as a mordant a little copperas and blue 
vitriol. Dye the other half with copperas, afterwards 
washed out with weak lye. Have it put on the loom in 
strips not over four inches wide ; check it with the fill- 
ing as tastefully and systematically as possible to form 
exact squares with the warp stripes. Or the warp may 
all be dyed with copperas and the filling arranged in 
transverse stripes. All the old flannel and white pieces 
may be put together and dyed to make the carpet 
brighter. A simple way of dyeing beautiful red colors 
is to get fifteen cents' worth of red aniline from the drug 
store, tie it in a thin muslin, bag, soak it in cold water 
to be afterwards added to a large kettle of hot boiling 
water in which a tablespoonful of alum is dissolved. 
AVet the pieces well and dye as much as your kettle will 
conveniently hold. This dye will keep and may be used 
more than once. Green and blue aniline are first dissolved 
in a little alcohol, and then used the same as the red. 
In the country, walnut bark and the nut-shells, red oak, 
pine and walnut bark, or sumac berries, are used, m 
each case dipping the fabrics in lye afterwards to set the 



36 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



coloring matter. Another style of carpet^ the so-called 
hit-or-miss^ is certainly easier to manage, viz. : have no 
design or stripe or check, but with the warp dyed any 
good serviceable color, weave in the pieces of all colors 
sewed together in such a way as to diversify them as much 
as possible. This has an effect somewhat similar to what 
is seen in chene goods. 



WINDOW SHADES AKD CURTAINS. 

The curtains and drapery of the windows play a very 
important part in the general effect of a room. For 
windows which are not supplied with inside blinds 

there are shades mounted 
1 on automatic rollers. Shades 
are now rarely white, but 
tinted, either gray, cream, 
or old-gold color. They 
should never be of a very 
deep shade. Many use red 
for the dining-room, but 
that color is better suited 
to some public place. A 
fringe about two and one- 
half inches wide finishes 
the bottom. 

A window shade of plain 
Hollands may be much im- 
proved by the decoration 
shown in Fig. 23. It is 
Fia. 23.— ORNAMENTED SHADE, simply a band of handsome 

wall-paper bordering, pasted 
on a few inches from the hem on the bottom of the 
shade. Cotton fringe, the color of the shade, is stitched 
across the bottom. The plain Hollands, in delicate 
tints, are more used now than ever before. It is very 




CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 37 

easy to decorate these shades. A pattern is drawn or 
stamped on, and worked in outline stitch with silk a 
few shades darker than the shade. Very pretty and 
simple designs can be formed out of circles interwoven 
together, drawn by the aid of a tumbler, or other per- 
fectly circular object. 

For drapery there are many beautiful and artistic 
patterns in Nottingham lace, which is low-priced and 
durable. They may be selected to look so like real 
lace that they can hardly be distinguished from it. 
The yellowish tint should be chosen, and in light pat- 
terns. Linen scrim, with inserting and edging of 
guipure lace, is always handsome. Simple cheese-cloth, 
plain or figured muslin, or cretonne, are all pretty. 
Heavy fabrics should be used only in large and richly 
furnished rooms. Lace curtains are looped back with 
wide satin ribbon, generally white or old gold. For 
bedrooms the newest curtains are of plain India mull, 
the same color as the furnishings of the chamber. If 
blue, they are tied back with pale pink ribbon, and vice 
versa. 

The half-curtain seen in Fig. 24 is used where the 
upper half of the window is stained glass, and the lower 
half plain. Embroider a piece of pongee for the front 
of the curtain, with some delicate pattern in bright 
shades of silk. Line it with the pongee, and finish at the 
bottom with fringe the color of the material used, and 
hang it on a small rod with rings. It will work nicely on 
a stout rod with small brass rings. Very pretty rustic 
rods and rings are made entirely from natural woods. 
The rod is of poplar, peeled. Upon the ends are jet- 
black balls, two inches and a half in diameter, of the 
singular excrescence found on oaks. The rings are 
made from the Wistaria vine, which, while green, were 
wound closely around a section of willow, two inches 
and a half through. When the vine was thoroughly 



88 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



seasoned, tlie coil was sawed across, holes were bored in 
the ends of the rings, a dowel dipped in glue was in- 
serted, the ends brought together, and secured in place 




FIG. 24. — A HALF-WINDOW CURTAIN. 

by a cord until the glue set. They were then varnished 
over the bark, and thus completed. The rod is sup- 
ported by brackets cut from laurel roots. 



WINDOW LAMBREQUINS. 

The lambrequin represented in Eig. 25 is made of 
maroon-colored felt, and, when neatly worked, gives a 
beautiful and rich finish to the window and the room, 
although in itself it is quite inexpensive. It consists of 
a strip of felt twenty inches wide and long enough to 
reach across the window and curtain. Various designs 
like those shown in Fig. 25 or any other that fancy dic- 
tates, are, with sharp scissors, cut out of the felt at irreg- 
ular intervals. The actual size of one of these designs 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 



39 



is outlined at Fig. S6. Then the felt is lined with pale- 
blue silesia, which has to be basted under it carefully, 
to prevent its being shoved in the least degree when 
outlining the figures, as that would pucker it and mar 
its beauty. Tinsel cord, with thread to match, is then 
sewed to the raw edge of the felt, all around the figures. 




FIG 25.— WINDOW LAMBREQUIN 

thus outlining them and fastening the felt to the lining 
at the same time. Half an inch above the lower edge 
of the felt four or five straight rows of tinsel cord are 
sewed across the lambrequin, which is finished with a 
row of tinsel balls, or ball fringe of the color of the felt. 
Tinsel cord may be had in gold, silver, copper color 



40 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

and any other metallic shade. One of these may be 




FIG. 26. — ACTUAL SIZE OF DESIGN. 

used for the entire work, or a different shade for each 
design. 

MANTEL LAMBREQUI:N^S AND DECK MANTELS. 

In many old-fashioned honses are great, bare man- 
tels, painted, like the adjoining wood-work, a funereal 
black. AVith a very slight outlay of labor and material, 
and good taste, these may be made beautiful and at- 
tractive. The shelf is covered with a lambrequin, and 
the lower part of the woodwork, which remains exposed, 
is painted to match the rest of the room. Mantel 
lambrequins are a plain scarf across the front, with 
decorated ends hanging low. There is often, as a back- 
ground for ornaments above the mantel, a curtain, plain 
or plaited, of the material of the lambrequin, about 
half a yard wide, hung upon a rod with rings. This 
may be of velvet paper, beaded by a narrow gilt mold- 
ing. Fig. 27 shows a design for a mantel lambrequin. 
It is made of a soft shade of dead gold, or golden 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 



41 



brown, and peacock blue felt. It is best to have a 
board made to fit the shelf, or a trifle wider if it should 
be a narrow one ; have small brass hooks on the ends of 
it^ and eyes on the wall, to hold it securely. If the 
mantel is of marble this is indispensable. To make 
such a lambrequin, first cover the board with the light 
felt, by tacking it on with very small tacks. The lower 
part is cut in panels, as seen in the engraving. A spray 



OOO^OOOi^OOi^ 




A MANTEL LAMBREQUIN. 



of flowers, or some little design, is worked in each 
panel. The spaces between the panels are filled with 
fringe, made of the blue felt. It is made in this way. 
A strip of felt, three and a half inches wide, is cut up 
in slits about an eighth of an inch wide, to within an 
half an inch of the top, making the fringe three inches 
deep. Above the panels is a band of the blue material, 
run through slits, cut in the light felt for that pur- 
pose. A daisy, cut out of white felt, and appliqued on 
the spaces, finishes the lambrequin. To fasten it on the 
board, so that the tacks will be invisible, tack it on the 
wrong side and turn it over. 

A pretty and easily-made lambrequin is shown in 
Fig. 28. It is made of felt to harmonize in color with 
the room. Tlie width is one yard, and length accord- 
ing to the mantel, allowing as much to fall over the 
ends as the front. The edge is cut into strips one 
eighth of an inch, wide, four inches and a half deep, to 
form the fringe. A strip five inches and a half deep. 



42 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



of a contrasting or darker shade of felt, is cut to the 
proper size and sewed under it. A band of the same, 
three inches and a half wide, is placed above that. 
This band is ornamented with a vine or fancy stitches, 
in different shades of crewels. Slits are cut in the edge 




FIG. 28. — A FELT LAMBREQUIN. 

near each end, as shown in the illustration. A large 
bow, the same shade as the felt, is fastened on where 
the left side is caught up. It is best to tack the lam- 
brequin over a board the size of the mantel, so it can be 
removed when the room is swept. It should be allowed 
to fall in natural folds at the corners. 

The term ''^Deck ManteF is applied to a supple- 
mentary mantel, raised above the ordinary shelf. This, 
especially in rooms with very high ceiling, is often in- 




A HOME-MADE DECK-MANTEL. 



troduced with very satisfactory effort. The design. Fig. 
29, can be made by any carpenter. It may be made of 
black walnut, or of pine stained to imitate cherry or 
ebony. The mirror in the centre should be framed 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 43 

with the moulding made for picture frames, which may 
imitate old gold or old silver. Curtains of dark-red 
plush are to occupy the panels on each side of the 
mirror, and form a rich background to whatever may 
be set in front of them. This mantel should be well 
secured to the wall behind it, or to the mantel proper, 
below. A drapery or lambrequin, described elsewhere, 
for the edge of the deck, to correspond with the cur- 
tains below, may be added with good eifect. 



PORTIERES OR DOORWAY CURTAINS. 

One of the most welcome fruits of the ^^ esthetic 
craze" is the substitution of curtains for doors in cases 
where such a change is practicable. For a doorway be- 
tween a hall and a parlor, between a front and back 
parlor, or a parlor and library, and similar places, a 
curtain is far better than a door. It gives a warm, 
pleasant effect, is noiseless, and may be made highly 
decorative. The French word portiere is so commonly 
used for these curtains, that it has almost become a 
naturalized English word. 

There is a very wide range in choosing material for 
portieres, from rich silks, satins, and damasks, to cheap 
but pretty cretonne and burlaps. A very rich yet cheap 
material is found in wool blankets, dyed any desired 
color. A warm-looking portiere is made of claret- 
colored blanket banded with plush of a deeper shade, 
and decorated with crewel- work in old-gold color; or 
blue, with a darker blue border and old gold ornamen- 
tation. Crazy work makes a very gorgeous portiere. 
A very simple and elegant material is common burlaps, 
which costs about twelve cents a yard. A narrow fillet 
in Grecian pattern near the top and heavier border of 
the same at the bottom is embroidered in Germantown 
yarn of cardinal or maroon. In place of embroidery 



44 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

the decoration is often painted on. Double-faced can- 
ton flannel is another cheap and effective material. 
Blue, garnet, or maroon will do, decorated with bands 
of the bright webbing used for saddle girths and coach 
trimmings. Cretonne will serve as a portiere to divide 




Fig. 30.— cornek curtain. 

a bedroom from a chamber or dressing-room, but is 
scarcely heavy enough for parlors or other rooms which 
are in daily use. Fig. 30 shows a curtain hung across 
an angle of a room to screen two doors, and illustrates 
the manner of hanging with rings on a pole. 



TABLE AKD PIAl^O COVERS. 

i very handsome effect of drapery may be given by 
covers for tables or pianos The cheap table-covers of 
red flannel, printed with black figures, which were so 
popular a few years ago, are an abomination to any per- 
son of good taste. Fig. 31 shows a cover made of a ma- 
terial called Madras, which is principally used for cur- 
tains. Select a pattern with a yellow ground, partly 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 45 

covered with large figures. It can be purchased at from 
fifty to seventy-five cents a yard, fifty-two inches wide. 
A yard and a half makes a good-sized cover. The flower 
or principal pattern is outlined with tinsel laid around 
the edge of the flowers, and caught down with white 
thread. The tinsel comes in balls at fourteen cents 
each. After the cover has been outlined with the tin- 
sel, it is to be lined with yellow surah silk or sateen, 
the edge finished with tinsel, and a fancy ball on each 
corner. Another style of table-cover may be made of 
the same material, in the form of a scarf. This is to 
be draped on the table from the centre, the two ends 




FIG. 31. — MADRAS TABLE-COVER. 

falling over the front. This is more appropriate where 
the table stands against the wall. The scarf is one yard 
and three quarters in length, and half a yard in width. 

Very rich and serviceable covers are made of colored 
felts bordered with velvet, velveteen, crewels, fringe, or 
other material. Fig. 32 shows one made of any suita- 
ble shade of felt, with a border of velvet or plush. 

As the pieces used are very small, discarded bonnet 



46 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



or dress trimmings, carefully brnshed and steamed, will 
answer as well as new material. The darkest shade in 
the engraving represents black velvet, while light and 
dark well-blended colors should be used to fill the 




FIG. 32.— CORNEK OF A TABLE COVER. 



smaller spaces. Care should be taken in sewing the 
pieces together, and afterward basting them on to the 
felt, leaving a border of three inches on the outside. 
The seam should be *^ feathered-stitched," with gold- 
colored floss. The fringe upon the border is made by 
cutting the three inches of felt along the edge into 
small strips one quarter of an inch wide. The table-top 
should not be larger than the body of the cover, so that 
the border of contrasting colors, with the fringe beyond, 
will neatly hang in sight, and produce a handsome and 
pleasing effect. 

A cover made of mauve felt is shown in Fig. 33. 
The border of leaves is cut out of several shades of 
brown felt, and fastened on with crewels a few shades 
darker. Narrow bands of the light felt are caught 
down with a row of herring-bone stitch, done in the 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AKD DRAPERY. 47 

crewels. It is finished on the edge with worsted fringe 
to match the cloth in color. A very pretty fringe can 
be attached directly to the cloth, if preferred, by 
leaving several inches of the felt below the band of 




FIG. 33.— FELT TABLE COVER WITH FRINGE. 

leaves. This is cut into strips a quarter of an inch 
wide to form the fringe. A strip of the brightest shade 
of brown should be cut in the same manner, and sewed 
under the dark fringe. 

A handsome cover for round or square tables is made 
by setting triangular pieces on a square centre, the 
whole forming a larger square. The one illustrated in 
Fig. 34 is made of a rich shade of red felt, with a cor- 
ner of a darker shade of velveteen. The roses in the 
corner represent tea-roses ; they are formed of silk of 
the desired color, which is cut into bias strips, folded 
together, and small pieces of it used to form the petals 
by pinning the silk on the pattern, twisting it into 
shape, and sewing it on with invisible stitches. The 
leaves are cut out of green velvet, and put on with a 



48 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



buttonhole stitch, in silk of the same shade. The 
stem, and very smallest leaves, are worked with arrasene 
and silk. After the corners have been attached, line 
the cover with red silesia, or other suitable material, 
and finally finish the corners with plush tassels of the 
same shade. 

An effective style of finishing the edges of a table 
cover, or a lambrequin, is seen in Fig. 35. It is made 
of peacock blue and light pink felt, cut out in points all 
around the edges, each point measuring three and a 
half inches across the top and three inches in length. 




FIG. 34 —FELT AND VELVETEEN TABLE-COVER. 



The strips of felt for making the tassels should be three 
inches in width, and be cut into narrow strips an eighth 
of an inch wide, two inches deep on one side and half 
an inch on tlie other, leaving a half an inch to wind 
around it. It requires about three inches of this fringe 
to make a tassel, which is made by rolling it together 



CARPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 49 

and winding the plain space with silk. Use pink silk 
on the blue tassels and blue on the pink. Five long 
stitches of pink silk are marked between the points ; 
these are fastened down with light green. The light 
green is used in the same way with pink. The blue 
tassels are attached to each point with a double piece of 
pink silk an inch and a half long, and the pink tassels 
are fastened with the blue silk. 

Another very effective cover is made of felt bordered 
with crazy work and ball tassels. A piece of unbleached 
muslin four inches deep is used for the foundation of 
the crazy work. On this baste small pieces of silk. 




FIG. 35. — FRINGED EDGE. 

satin, plush, or velvet, in any shape or size, the edges 
to be all carefully turned down before basting on the 
muslin. The edge of each piece is then embroidered 
with silk or floss of a contrasting shade in a variety of 
stitches. The greater the variety of stitches and color 
the prettier will be the scarf. A border of this crazy 
work is fastened on each end of the scarf, five inches 
4 



50 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



from the edge, with a narrow black velvet ribbon, which 
is ornamented on each side with gold floss. The two 




FIG. 36.— CRAZY WORK BORDER. 



edges are cut in points and finished with tassels or fancy 
balls, as shown in the engraving. 

All the patterns of felt covers would be equally effec- 
tive for mantel or bracket lambrequins. 



CHAIR tidies. 

A tasteful tidy on the back of a chair serves the 
double purpose of a decoration and of protecting the 
chair from soiling. Whatever may be the style or ma- 
terial of the tidy it should be fastened securely to the 
chair. A piece of drapery hanging loose on the back of 
a chair, swinging freely with every motion, and falling 
upon the shoulders of any one sitting on the chair, is a 
very tDitidj affair. A neat and ornamental tidy is 
shown in Fig. 37. It is made of light blue satin and 



CAEPETS, CURTAINS AND DRAPERY. 



51 



white lace. A piece of satin, and one of sateen or si- 
lesia, of the same color, eight inches square, are cut in 
two diagonally ; the satin pieces are lined with silesia by 
turning in the edges and overcasting them together. 
These two pieces are joined with insertion, or tAvo pieces 
of lace caught together on the points, to form an inser- 
tion. If made of lace, it can be sewed underneath the 
satin to make it the required width — three and a half 
inches. The tidy has lace all around the border, two 







FIG. 37.— SATIN AND LACE TIDY. 



and a half or three inches wide. If the material to 
make the tidy is to be purchased, there will be needed : 
a quarter of a yard of satin, half a yard of insertion, 
or three-quarters of a yard of lace, and a yard and a 
quarter to go around the edges. The torchon lace is 
the prettiest — antique is more desirable. A few sprays 
of flowers painted on the satin will enhance its beauty, 
but these are not essential. 

A plain white towel makes a very pretty and durable 
tidy for every-day use. Such a one is illustrated in Fig. 



52 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

38. Embroider some little vine or flower on the ends 




FIG. 38. — TIDY MADE OF A TOWEL 



of the towel, and fold it together in use as shown in the 
engraving. 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. o3 



CHAPTER III. 
HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 

A WELL-FURNISHED HOUSE. 

Handsome furniture is an indispensable concomitant 
of an attractive home. Many a woman of limited means, 
but refined taste, who has kept all the commandments 
from her youth up, finds herself strongly tempted to 
violate the tenth when visiting a well-furnished house 
or glancing into the show-window of a furniture ware- 
room. Yet furniture which possesses all the requisites 
of beauty and convenience can be ^'^ fixed up" at home 
with very little outlay beyond the labor of odd moments. 
Some of these things are creations from such unconsidered 
trifles as old barrels, boxes, etc., and others are merely 
old articles regenerated and beau.tified by the exercise of 
taste and skill. 



PRETTY AND COMFORTABLE CHAIRS. 

Fig. 39 shows how a very cheap old-fashioned rocking- 
chair can be tastefully trimmed up and transformed into 
a fancy chair for the parlor, with very little trouble and 
expense. A cushion of several thicknesses of an old 
comfortable, or some other soft material, is made for the 
seat, and one for the back; the latter does not require to 
be as thick as the other. These cushions are covered with 
any other suitable material. A spray of flowers can be 
embroidered on the cloth, or they may be cut out of cre- 
tonne, and appliqued with silk as near the shades of the 



54 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



flowers as possible. Cover the backs of the cushions 
with silesia of the same color as the coverings. Tack on 
the cushion with small tacks, so as to be invisible. A 
piece of ribbon is drawn across the back diagonally, with 
a bow at each end, and if a couple of bows are placed on 
the front, the decorative effect is improved. 




FIG 



RENOVATED ROCKING-CHAIR. 



Rustic chairs, if constructed with taste, are very effec- 
tive either for the lawn, veranda or interior. Fig. 40 
shows an arm-chair made of small saplings which had 
made their growth while encircled by living plants of the 
Bittersweet (Celasfrus scandens). It is found in all 
parts of the country, climbing spirally around bushes 
or saplings of hickory, maple, willow, or other wood. If 
the stick so entwined is cut and the vine detached, a 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 55 

deep spiral groove will be found in it. No product of 
the wood-carver can exceed this handiwork of nature. 
In the absence of this quaint and beautiful material, wild 
grape-vine or cedar boughs may be employed instead. 




FIG. 40 —EASY-CHAIR. 

The bark is left on and varnished. A chair of this style 
for the veranda or lawn may have the seat and back of 
black-ash splints, but for the interior of the house a 
cushion and back may be made of cretonne or other 
bright material. 

Willow chairs, so convenient for summer use, can be 
made quite attractive with the aid of bright plush. The 
one seen in Fig. 41 has pads made to fit the seat and 
back ; these are covered with terra cotta plush. The 
peacock feathers are embroidered on in their natural 



56 OUK homes; how to beautify them. 

hues with silks. These pads are tacked on with gimp 
and brass-headed nails. The rocking-chair. Fig. 42, has 
a crescent-shaped head-rest made of peacock-blue plush. 




Fig. 41. Fig. 42. 

tied on with ribbon the same shade. Willow chairs that 
have become discolored can be made to look like new, 
by staining them with Venetian red in turpentine: they 
will need several coats, and lastly a coat of varnish. 



OENAMEN^TAL CHAIR-BACKS. 

The back shown in Fig. 43 is made of red Turkish 
towelling. A piece, the full length of the chair-back, is 
hemmed down each side, and across the ends. The 
ends are then worked across over the edge in button- 
hole stitch with zephyr, of the color of the material. 
The fringe may be knotted directly into the buttonhole 
stitches, but it looks somewhat better to crochet a row 
of scallops across in the stitches, and tie the fringe into 
these. Use split zephyr for the fringe and scallops, and 
single zephyr for the buttonhole work. To make the 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FUUNITURE. 



57 



fringe, wind the zephyr around a piece of pasteboard, 
four inches wide, separated into bunches of four threads 





FIG. 43. — RED CHAIR BACK. 



Fia. 44.— GRAY CHAIR-BACK. 



each, and tie a bunch in each scallop. The scallops 
should be small, or the fringe will look scant. Thirty 
scallops across a tidy, half a yard wide, would be about 
right. Put the fringe across each 
end. Sew ribbons at the sides, 
and tie as shown. The chair-back 
shown in Fig. 44 is of gray Turkish 
towelling, with fringe and bows of 
bright red. The ribbon is about 
two inches wide, and fastened with 
the chair-back to the frame of the 
chair; it comes over the top, and 
ends in large flat bows in front. The 
chair-back (Fig. 45), is made of 
scrim, trimmed with lace and inser- 
tion. It should be at least a yard 
and a half long and three quarters of a yard wide when 
finished. It is gathered in the centre, and fastened to 
the chair with a bow of bright ribbon. Knitted lace is 
preferable to common cotton lace for such tidies, for it 
can be washed and ironed to look as nice as new. 




PIQ.. 45, — CHAIR BACK 
OF SCRIM, 



58 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



A DECORATED MILKIKG-STOOL. 

Fig. 46 shows a common three-legged stool trans- 
formed to an ornamental piece of furniture. The legs 
are painted with Dent's gold paint or bronze powder. 
The seat is covered with several thicknesses of old quilts 
and covered with plush, fastened by leather-headed 
nails around the lower edge. The plush cover is orna- 




FIG. 46. — DECORATED MILKING STOOL. 

mented with a spray of flowers or other design in em- 
broidery silk. A bow of ribbon is fastened at the top of 
one of the legs; a smaller bow near the bottom of an- 
other leg, with the ribbon looped between them. 



EBOKIZII^^G AN^D STAININ^G WOOD. 

Very handsome effects are produced by treating com- 
mon wood to imitate ebony, walnut, or cherry. The 
color, beauty, and apparently the density of ebony is 
produced by staining the cheaper wood a permanent 
black, and rubbing the surface down very smooth. The 
wood is first washed with camphorated spirits, followed 



HAKD-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 59 

with a strong infusion of nutgalls, and immediately after 
that with a solution of copperas in vinegar. A perma- 
nent black stain is the result. When sufficiently dry it is 
rubbed with charcoal made from pine or other soft wood, 
to avoid scratching the surface. Alternately with the 
charcoal rubbings, the wood is rubbed with a flannel 
soaked in a mixture of linseed oil with a little turpen- 
tine. The charcoal powder and oil penetrate the wood, 
imparting a compact and polished surface. Only such 
woods as have a fine, compact grain can be successfully 
treated in this way. For pine or other soft woods the 
proper treatment is in imitation of lacquer work. Give 
the wood two or three coats of shellac varnish, to which 
lamp-black or bone-black has been added at the rate of a 
heaping table-spoonful to a pint of varnish. The pigment 
should be dampened with alcohol before putting it into 
the varnish. Allow sufficient time for each coat to dry 
thoroughly. Then rub down with fine sand -paper until 
the surface is smooth and even, being careful not to rub 
through to the wood. Then apply two or three coats 
more, and rub down again with the sand-paper ; give 
two coats more; allow it to dry perfectly hard. Make 
some rubbers of felt — an old felt hat is good — by tacking 
the felt on blocks of soft wobd of proper shape, which 
should be flat, concave, or convex to fit the work. Apply 
a few drops of sewing-machine oil or any fine oil to the 
felt, and sprinkle on a pinch of pulverized pumice-stone. 
Rub the work with this, keeping the rubber moist with 
oil and supplied with the pumice, until the wood shows 
a perfectly smooth surface, without any gloss. When it 
has all been gone over, wipe off the surface and rub 
clean with dry flannel cloths. The result is a fine imi- 
tation of ebony. If the shellac varnish is colored with 
aniline instead of lampblack, the finished surface is 
smoother and finer. Another way is to use fine coach- 
black, ground in oil, thinned with a little linseed oil. 



60 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

Japan dryer and turpentine. Give the work several 
coats, rubbing down with fine sand -paper, and finish 
with the oil and pumice as above. This is a fine and 
durable finish, the drawback being that it requires as 
many weeks as the shellac does days to dry so hard that 
it can be rubbed. As amateurs are always in a hurry to 
see their work finished, it is seldom used. 

To imitate black walnut, wash the wood successively 
with solutions of catechu (also called cutch and terra 
Japonica), and bichromate of potash, both sold by drug- 
gists. Dissolve separately an ounce of each in a pint of 
water. The catechu will need the aid of heat. The 
wood is first washed with the catechu solution, and when 
dry with the solution of bichromate, using swabs. The 
color may be made darker or lighter by varying the 
strength of the solutions. Then rub down with oil and 
pumice, or give two coats of shellac varnish. 

Cherry stain is made of Venetian red mixed with oil 
as for painting, and then diluted with turpentine until 
it fiows easily and penetrates the wood. Finish as 
above. 

A home-made couch. 

Fig. 47 shows a lounge or couch made from a box six 
feet long, two feet wide, and fourteen inches high, with 
a board at the head to support the pillow. Strong 
casters are fastened firmly under the corners, and a cover 
the full size of the box hinged on. The cover is of cre- 
tonne or any other suitable material, even the skirt of 
an old dress. If there is not enough of one material to 
cover all alike, the valance can be different. First, 
tack on the valance, just deep enough to clear the floor. 
Begin at one of the back corners; make a little fold in 
the cloth every two inches, and tack to the upper edge 
of the box. For the cover, make a tick of coarse can- 
vas, or something similar, a little larger than the top of 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 



61 



the box, filled with straw, curled shavings, stripped 
husks, or something similar. To hold the tick firmly, 
take a stout cloth and tack it along one side of the 
cover; draw it tightly over the tick, and tack to the 
other side, fastening the ends. Add the final covering, 
which should be wide and long enough to extend down 




FIG. 47. — A CUEAP LOUNGE. 

over the opening, upon the valance. It can be fastened 
to the cover edges with brass-headed nails, or plain or 
tinned furniture tacks. The tacks may be covered, if 
desired, with a running cord, sewed on. The corners 
may be finished with a bow of ribbon, or cord and tassel. 
A pillow may be made of the same materials as the tick, 
or a common pillow. Bedding and many other articles 
may be stored inside the spacious box. 



DECORATIVE TABLES. 

The table shown in Fig. 48 may be made of four 
broom-handles, a round stick, and a piece of pine board. 
The legs are thirty-four inches long, and tapering towards 
the bottom: fasten them together with the cross-piece 
which extends through half-inch holes, and ebonize or gild 
them. For the top use an inch pine board, measuring 
thirty-three by twenty-seven inches. The lower board is 
eight by ten inches, and half an inch thick. Cover these 
pieces with plush of an old-gold color. Gild a piece of 



62 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

new rope, and tack it around the edge; a piece of lighter 
weight is used on the lower board. The top and under 
shelf should be screwed on before cohering. Fringe may 




FIG. 48.— HOME-MADE FANCY TABLE. 

be used in place of the rope, but this is the latest freak 
of fancy. Large bows of old-gold satin ribbon are tied 
where the legs cross. 

Fig. 49 shows a method of decoration which may be 
applied to any small table. The top is covered with pea- 
cock-blue plush, which has upon it a bunch of corn- 
flowers, made of narrow ribbon. The pattern is stamped 
on, and the petals of the flower made by drawing the 
ribbon through and in place with a large needle. The 
leaves are worked with arrasene. There is a new mate- 
rial called ^^Ribbosene,^^ which is now much used in 
place of the narrow ribbon above mentioned, but if this 
cannot be obtained the ribbon will answer quite as well. 
The corner-pieces of the lambrequin are made of the 



HAN^D-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 63 

plush, and the points between are of satin, a shade 
lighter; this is ornamented with embroidery and joined 
to the corner, and all is lined with yellow sateen. Plush 
balls, the shade of the plush, are sewed at regular inter- 
vals on the bottom to finish it. The cover is tacked on 




FIG. 49. — ORNAMENTAL TABLE. 



the table on the wrong side, and turned down so as not 
to have any tacks in sight. 

Fig. 50 shows another design or decoration, and a 
table which is easily made of birch or poplar wood, 
ebonized. The top is covered with dark plush, and a 
broad band of the same is tacked around the edges. 
This is ornamented with a pattern worked in the couch- 
ing stitch. It is done in this manner: the design is first 
stamped on; then two threads of double zephyr are laid 
on it a short distance at a time, and caught down at 
regular intervals with floss of different shades. One or 
more colors of the zephyr can be used, as the taste sug- 
gests. A design of circles interwoven into each other is 



64 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

very pretty; this can be carried out nicely with a tea- 
cup and white paint. I'he tassels are made of the 
zephyr. 




FIG, 50. — A SIMPLER TABLE. 

Fig. 51 shows a table which can easily be made at 
home. The top is to be sawed out of inch board in the 
shape of a clover-leaf, as shown in the engraving. It 
will be best to cut the pattern out of paper. Three 
broom-handles will serve for the legs. They should be 
covered with plush or velvet; cut the material to cover 
them an inch wider than the circumference of the leg; 
draw a straight line on the stick, and tack one edge of 
the plush to it with very small tacks; turn the other 
edge in, and sew on with invisible stitches; n^il the legs 



HAKD-MADE DECORATIVE FURJ^ITURE. 



65 



together; glue small bits of plush over the nail-heads to 
conceal them, or they may be bronzed or gold-painted. 
Embroider the leaves and blossom on the material to be 
used on the top. Draw it smoothly over the board, and 




FIG. 51. — A CLOVER-LEAF TABLE. 

tack it around the edge. Finish on the edge with fringe 
to match the top. 



DESKS AJfD BOOK-SHELVES. 

Fig. 52 shows a bookcase of the very simplest form. 
It is made of pine boards stained to imitate black 
walnut or cherry, or painted to harmonize with wood- 
work of the room. The engraving shows so clearly the 
method of construction that detailed directions are 
needless. The cleats which support the shelves are 
fastened with stout screws short enough to avoid pene- 



66 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

trating entirely through the sides. The pole that sup- 
ports the curtain is held by small brackets at the upper 
corners. This curtain can be made very ornamental 
by a band of plush, velvet, or embroidery, with a heavy 
fringe across the bottom. The shelves are stained to 




HOME-MADE BOOKCASE. 



imitate black walnut. The pole is of solid walnut with 
rings of the same, or of brass. 

Fig. 53 represents a set of hanging shelves sur- 
mounted by a rack for newspapers. The three shelves 
are each twenty inches long, eight inches wide, and 
half an inch thick. They may be made of cherry, 
maple, or birch, oil-finished. They are suspended by 
stout tapes fastened to each corner by broad-headed 
tacks. A new style of leather-headed tack is very 
suitable for the purpose. The rack for papers is made 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 



67 



of narrow strips of wood of the same thickness and 
material as the shelves, fastened together with similar 
tacks as those used at the corners. It is suspended 




FIG. 53.— HANGING SHELVES, WITH RACK FOR NEWSPAPERS. 

from two strong hooks screwed into the wall, care being 
used to have them the right distance apart and level 
with each other. 

An easily made desk is shown in Fig. 54. It is fifty- 
four inches high, thirty inches wide. The distance from 
the floor to the desk, which slopes downward a little 
when opened, is thirty inches. The desk is sixteen 
inches wide, and is fastened to the shelf with three 
strong hinges, and has three bars, one inch square, 
firmly screwed across its back, to prevent it from warp- 
ing. When the desk is down, it rests upon a piece of 
large moulding. When closed, it is fastened with a 
button. Under the desk, on one side of the case, are 
three small drawers, e, e,e, for papers ; on the opposite 
side is a small closet, d, for account books, etc. Fast- 



6S 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



ened to one front corner of the case is a swinging shelf, 
to serve as a dictionary holder. An iron bar, x, rests in 
two sockets, which are screwed to the corner of the 
case. The top of the bar is bent at right angles, and 
divided into two short arms, as shown in the engraving. 
Supporting bars are welded to the main bar near its 
lower end, and act as brackets to support the shelf, 
which is attached to them with screws. In the engrav- 
ing the shelf is shown beside the case, from which 
position it may be swung around to the end of the desk. 




FIG. 54. — HOME MADE DESK. 



bringing the dictionary into position for reference. 
Neat wooden brackets held by stout butts would be 
cheaper and far more elegant than forged iron ones. 

Fig. 55 shows a small secretary and bookcase made 
of the table of an old sewing-machine. By unhinging 
the cover and fastening it with two iron braces and 
screws to the back in an upright position, the place for 
books is made. To cover the holes a piece of felt may be 
pasted on the table part. Old frames may be purchased 
at the factories for a small sum, and will be found very 
useful with these changes. The small drawer is a con- 
venient place for pens, stamps, etc., and an upright 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURN^ITURE. 69 

piece of steel under the drawer may be sharpened to 
hold notes in place. 

Fig. 56 shows a desk which, when closed, takes up 
no more space in the room than an ordinary shelf. 
The upper part is simply a shallow box about eighteen 
inches square, and seven or eight inches deep. The 
front of the box is hung to the bottom by small butts, 
and when open forms a sloping table to write on, indi- 
cated by the dotted lines. It folds up when not in use, 




FIG. 55. — A USEFUL SECRETARY. 

closing the desk, and fastens with a cupboard catch. 
This desk rests on a wider shelf, beneath which there is 
a box with a shelf in it, where books can be kept. The 
brackets on each side of this lower box are fastened to 
it by hinges, which allow of their being swung out to 
form a support for the table, or desk front, when in use. 
They swing back, when the desk is closed, against cleats 
on the lower side of the shelf on which the desk rests. 



10 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



These brackets can be made very ornamental if the boys 
have a scroll-saw. They should be stout enough to 




PIG. 56. — WALL DESK. 

form a substantial support to the table. The whole is 
fastened to the wall bv screws. 



FOOT-REST AND STEP. 



The little affair shown in Fig. 57 will be found useful 
in the sitting-room, as it will answer several purposes. 




FIG. 57. — FOOT-REST AND STEPS. 



It can be used as a step to enable one to arrange books 
or pictures. It makes a nice seat for the little ones. 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 71 

and also a foot-rest for the older persons. The ends 
are twenty-two iDches high, and the horizontal pieces, 
or steps, twenty inches long. Bits of bright Brussels 
or velvet carpet make the most durable covering. The 
top step should be padded in the middle, the cover- 
ing drawn tightly over it, and tacked on the sides. A 
narrow fringe, with a heading, tacked on with brass- 
headed nails, will give a handsome finish to the edges 
of the steps. The wood -work may be of black walnut, 
or other hard wood, or the w^hole be made of pine, and 
stained, of course before the covering is fastened on. 

TRANSFORMING AN OLD WASH-STAND. 

The old stained wash-stand now tucked away in the 
garret, but so common a few years ago — the one with a 
hole in the top and a drawer and shelf below — may be 
transformed to a thing of beauty. Remove the back- 
piece and side-bars, and nail a thin board over the top 
to cover the hole. The legs are then ebonized with black 
varnish, or given a coat of Dent^s gold paint. When 
dry, cover the top and lower shelf with dark blue or olive 
plush or velveteen, and put a straight valance of the 
same round the lower shelf. Finish the top one with a 
worsted chenille fringe, in bright Persian colors, and 
edge the valance with the same. It will take only about 
a yard and a quarter of the plush, and three yards of 
fringe; and the table will be a pretty stand for books or 
music. If it is to stand against the wall, three sides of 
the lower shelf only need be trimmed, and the drawer 
left for use at the back. For a bedroom these tables are 
pleasing, if simply varnished and covered in a similar 
way with a pretty, cheerful cretonne, edged with a full 
ruffle of the same. 



72 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

NEW USE FOR PEACH-BASKETS. 

A very pretty work and scrap basket combined may 
be made from two peach-baskets, fastened together at 
the small ends. A round piece of inch board is fitted 
into the large end of the inverted basket, and securely 
nailed. The bottom is also removed and small cleats 
nailed to the inside for the upper basket to rest on. 
A lid of stout pasteboard or thin wood is made for the 
top basket. Line both baskets with undressed cambric. 




FIG. 58.— A PEACH SCKAP BASKET. 

and cover them on the outside with cretonne. Make 
the trimming of any plain color that will look pretty 
with the cretonne. Cover the lid with the same 
material after placing several layers of cotton wadding 
on the top of it. Attach the lid to the basket, and pro- 
vide ribbons to keep it down. Make several pockets to 
fasten on the inside of the work-basket for buttons, 
tapes, and other articles. The bottom one is left plain, 
as it is only intended for bundles and patches. 

A scrap or waste basket can be made from a peach- 
basket by trimming it as represented in Fig. 58. Select 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 73 

a smooth basket, varnish it or give it a coat of gold 
paint, and line with silesia. Make six plush lappels, and 
applique embroider or a graceful spray of flowers on 
each. Line them with silesia, and finish with cord on 
the edge and a plush ball on the point. Tack them 
around the top on the inside of the basket, and on the 
wrong side of the lappels so that the tacks do not show, 
and afterward turn them over on the outside. Cloth or 
flannel, of suitable color, can be used instead of the 
plush for the trimming. 

A GROUP OF HOME-MlDE ADORNMENTS. 

The several articles represented in miniature in Fig. 
59 are all useful, and can be made at home with very 
little trouble. 

A flower stand, 1, is made of rough wood, and three 
wooden butter-bowls of different sizes. Each bowl is 
nailed upon a piece of the wood, and the parts are joined 
together, placing the smallest at the top. The bottom 
stick should be a foot longer than the others, so that it 
can be set in the ground to that depth to hold the stand 
firmly. If it is not designed to be stationary, nail some 
pieces on the bottom to form feet, spreading them 
enough to answer for that purpose. Paint the bowls 
brown, and bore several holes in the bottom of each to 
afford drainage. ' Fill the bowls with rich, light soil, 
plant running vines near the edges, and set plants with 
bright-colored foliage or flowers in the centre. 

A screen of natural ivy is shown in 2. To make such 
a screen, procure a small-sized clothes-horse and drive 
nails around the frame, about four inches apart, then 
run wire back and forth across it, forming a trellis for 
the ivy to be trained upon. Make a box of wood, three 
inches high, four wide, and as long as the screen is wide. 
It is better to have a lining for the box, of tin, zinc or 



74 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



galvanized iron. Fasten the screen to the box and plant 
the ivies in it. When the screen is completely covered, 
it makes a very useful as well as beautiful ornament for 
the front piazza or elsewhere. If the screen is likely to 




be moved frequently, it is well to provide the box with 
casters. 

The foundation for the couch, 3, is made of a strong 
wooden box. Remove the lid and divide the box in two. 



HAND-MADE DECORATIVE FURNITURE. 75 

by fastening- the cover in it, in an upright position, to 
form the back. Tack sacking or unbleached cotton 
cloth over the open parts, which are to be the seats, and 
attach a caster at each corner of the bottom, when it 
will be ready to be upholstered. For the covering, use 
a pretty pattern of cretonne, make a plaiting of it for 
the side and ends of the box. The four pillows which 
are used for the seats and back are covered with the 
same material. They can be filled with hair or feathers. 
The two pillows for the back should be overhanded 
together on three sides and slipped over the back. The 
other two are to be tacked on the seats. Attach a tassel 
at the upper corner of each side of the couch, and you 
will have an inexpensive piece of furniture. 

The hat-rack 4, is designed by nature, and the material 
is sought in the woods. Select the roughest and 
knottiest branches to be found. Nail the pieces to- 
gether to fit around an old mirror; or a new glass with- 
out a frame will answer. If a glass without a frame is 
used, it can be kept in place by tacking pieces of braid 
to the frame across the back of it. 

An umbrella stand, shown in 5, is made of an ordinary 
drain- tile, to represent the more elegant ones which we 
see in house-furnishing stores, but this answers every 
purpose, and looks much like them. Paint the tile, on 
the inside, a delicate shade of pink, and the outside a 
medium shade of brown. Cut a piece of wood to fit in 
the bottom and glue it in. Cut out from showy cretonne 
the flowers and branches, and glue them around the tile, 
and then give it several coats of varnish. 

The book-case shown in 6 is designed to fill the space 
usually found between the chimney and the corner of the 
room. Make a frame to fit the space, and deep enough 
to hold the largest book. Provide as many shelves as 
are desired, it being better to have more than are needed 
at present, for future use. It does not look at all out of 



76 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

place to have every otlier shelf (if necessary) filled with 
bric-a-brac. Ebonize the frame. The curtains can be 
made of almost any material. Old shawls or blankets 
can be dyed and used to make very pretty ones. Attach 
a band of velveteen^ of the same shade, on the bottom. 
Procure rings of a proper size to fit the rod. Sew them 
on the curtain. The rod may be a piece of old gas- 
pipe, ebonized; slip it through the rings, and fasten it 
on the book-case with a stair-rod fixture. Cut some dark 
red leather into strips, three inches wide, pink them on 
the edge, or cut the edge in points, and with brass- 
headed nails tack a strip on each shelf, to protect the 
books from dust. 



SCEEENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



77 



CHAPTER IV. 

SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANEL8= 

SCREENS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. 

Although screens are associated with winter, they are 
quite as useful in summer. They serve to conceal the 
fire-board, after the stove has been removed. Then they 




Fig. 60.— screen of crazy work. 



are very convenient for shading the eyes while taking a 
nap on the lounge. Every lady will know the manner 
in which the screen illustrated in Fig. 60 is made. The 



78 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



frame for the screen can be purchased ready-made, but 
one that will answer every purpose is constructed out of 
a small clothes-horse, and stained to imitate ebony or 
walnut. The design is worked on a foundation of mus- 
lin, out of silk velvets and fancy ribbon, and lined with 
sateen of an old-gold color. 

The frame for the 23retty rustic screen shown in Fig. 




Fig. 61.— a rustic screen. 



61 consists of the branches of such trees or shrubs as are 
most suitable. Some of the smaller branches have to 
be bent gently and fastened with string before drying, 
so as to form the curves necessary for the design. After 
the wood has been thoroughly dried near a fire, combine 
the different parts in a tasteful way. Tack them togeth- 
er, and paint with a mixture of very thin varnish and 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



79 



gold bronze. The centre is formed of a square wooden 
frame, over which is first stretched a piece of muslin, 
and then the plush, satin, or cloth for the background. 
Insert this panel at the back, and fasten with tacks. 
Pressed ferns and autumn leaves are then arranged upon 
this foundation, and brightened by covering with a thin 
coat of varnish, applied with a camel's hair brush. In 
houses where open fires are still enjoyed, a low screen of 
this kind is useful in keeping off the direct heat from 
the fire-place or stove, or it may be made larger for a 
door. 

Very pretty screens are made of white India matting 
ornamented with embroidery or painting. Fig. 62 shows 




FIG. 62. — ORNAMENTED MATTING SCREEN. 



a screen of India matting with morning-glory pattern. 
It is made by cutting off the selvage on the lower edge 
of the matting, which is then ravelled out to form a 
fringe. The design is painted on in oil, the lattice 
being done in a fine line of black; the morning-glories 
are painted in pink and blue, and the leaves and stems 



80 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



in olive; the bands are also in olive. The banner is sus- 
pended on a bamboo cane by loops of olive cords. 

Fig. 63 shows a screen of white India matting deco- 
rated with rope trimming. A white manilla rope of 
clothes-line size or a little larger is used. The matting 

is hemmed to make a firm 
edge top and bottom, and 
across this is sewed a line of 
rope, cut long enough to 
form a tassel fringed out a 
quarter of a yard deep, on 
each end. Through this is 
passed the rope that makes 
a coil at the top, as shown 
in the illustration. The 
lower edge is worked the 
same, except that the ropes 
are cut in lengths of about 
three quarters of a yard, 
passed over and under the 
straight line, making a series 
of loops and tassels. 

One would not imagine 
that from this rough ma- 
-screen"with"rope terial so pretty a finish could 
TRiMMiNCx. be made, and an ingenious 

person can apply the same idea to a variety of fancy 
articles. The screen frame may be made of a small 
clothes-horse, gilding the legs or staining them to 
imitate black walnut or ebony. Cover one, two, or all 
three sides of the horse in this way, and tack cretonne 
or Turkey-red to finish the back. Two sections of the 
clothes-horse are enough, and they have to be made very 
firm and stable, by screwing to the legs some three- 
cornered iron cleats that come for fastening up shelves. 
Some of these matting screens are finished on lower edge 




FIG. 63. 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



81 



by fringing out the matting and making tassels of differ- 
ent-colored felt cot into strands and the heads worked or 
crocheted, and placed about three inches apart, but it is 
not nearly so pretty as the rope, while it requires more 
time and expense. 

The little screen shown in Fig. 64 is constructed of 
three small Japanese fans, with a 
wicker-covered bottle or flask as 
a base. The flask is of the kind 
in which Italian wines are im- 
ported, and is similar to the old 
Florence oil flask, but much larger 
and more neatly covered. Such 
flasks may be had at hotels for a 
very little or nothing. If not 
sufficiently heavy for a base, sand 
or shot may be introduced to give 
it stability. The fans selected for 
this purpose should be very light, 
and brilliantly colored. The 
covering of the flask may be or- 
namented by staining, or it may 
with bright ribbon. 




FIG. 64. — SCREEN. OF 
THREE FANS. 

be sfilded. Decorate 



HOME-MADE PLAQUES. 

During the last few years plaques have become an 
element in home decorations. There is an almost end- 
less range in style and expense, from the elaborate and 
costly article in repousse metal, to the simple^ plaque of 
white poplar wood painted by hand. Yet there is 
doubtless quite as much genuine enjoyment in pos- 
sessing the creation of one^s own skill and taste as in 
the costly work of foreign artists. Blank plaques in 
terra-cotta, white poplar wood, papier-mache, and other 
materials are sold very cheaply at the art stores. Coun- 



82 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



try dwellers can, however, find in the forests and fields 
material, which, with taste and skill, can be made more 
decorative than any which are sold. 




PIG. 65.— DESIGN for A PLAQUE. 

Fig. 65 shows a design which may be painted upon 
a plaque of white wood or terra- cotta, either of which 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



83 



is very inexpensive. If it is to be executed in oil colors, 
draw the design carefully with a pencil. Make the 
stems and twigs Vandyke brown and white, and the 
grasses and leaves Zinober green, Nos. 2 and 3. Paint 




the rocks in neutral tint, shaded with sepia, and the 
flowers at the right in rose madder and crimson lake, to 
give a touch of bright color. For water, use cobalt 



84 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

white, Vandyke brown, and Zinober green No. 3. Paint 
the birds in Vandyke brown, with mixed white and gray 
breasts, and yellow bills. Let the one bird^s foot visible 
be brown and white, strongly articulated with brown. 
When completed, it would be beautiful framed in a rich 
crimson-plush frame. Wooden panels would probably 
be best for frames with branches and blossoms. Some 
people have a fancy for painting apple-blossoms upon 
apple-wood and cherry-blossoms upon cherry-wood. For 
oil colors, oil the panel first with linseed or poppy oil, 
and when dry, paint directly upon the wood. After 
the painting is completed, varnish with French retouch- 
ing varnish. If desired, the groundwork may be of 
gold or sky-blue, adding gray at the base, or making 
the blue deeper. The blossoms should be a delicate 
rose tint, shaded with a mixture of gray, chrome green, 
and carmine, using pure carmine on the birds, and tips 
of some of the flower petals. Paint the young leaves, 
calices, and stems in light green, flat, outlined with 
Vandyke brown, in which the boughs and tree should 
be also painted, the light being put in with white. 

The Polyporus fungus, illustrated on page 18, may be 
used to excellent advantage for a plaque. Fig. 66 
shows one of these fungi, with an ornamental design 
which is produced not by painting, but in color furnished 
by the fungus itself. A young and growing fungus is 
found attached to a tree, and the design is lightly 
scratched on the under surface with a sharp steel point. 
The lines thus made soon assume a dark rich color, and 
a picture thus made has the effect of a sepia drawing. 



LAMP shades AN^D SCREENS. 

A neat and tasteful shade over the evening lamp 'goes 
farther than any other small article to give an air of 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



85 



elegance and comfort to a room. Nothinj^: that is offered 
in tlie market is as neat 
and desirable as many styles 
of home-made shades. A 
pretty and easily - made 
lamp - shade is shown in 
Fig. 67. It is made of 
strips of satin ribbon and 
lace insertion of equal 
widths. The pieces should 
be an inch longer than the 
porcelain shade, and made 
pointed at one end by turn- 
ing under the corners and 
catching them together on 
the inner side. The pieces 
are then neatly overhanded 
together, and a lace edg- 
ing to match the insertion 
sewed in at the top. A 
little tassel made of silk, 
the color of the ribbon, is 
attached to each point. A fine cord made of the silk is 
run in at the bottom of the lace, to draw it around the 
neck of the porcelain shade. A tassel is fastened on 
the ends of the cord, and it is tied in a bow on one side. 
Ribbon of any other color can be used for this shade, but 
a buff or pink will be found the prettiest. 

Another very handsome design is shown in Fig. 68. 
It is made of a light quality of pink satin that will not 
darken the room, but give a soft, pleasant light. White 
oriental is basted on the satin, and the heaviest parts of 
it covered with silks of different colors; they are worked 
over and over as in the old-fashioned embroidery stitch, 
giving it a very ornamental appearance. The bottom of 
the satin is cut to correspond with the lace, and the 




FIG. 67. 



-HOME-MADE LAMP- 
SHADE. 



86 



OUR homes: how to beautify them. 



edges are turned under and basted on the lace. Little 
tassels of the silks are tied around the bottom of the 
scallops. A thread is run around the top to shirr it up 
to fit the shade. 

A simple and pretty design for a lamp-shade may be 
made of natural ferns, if they are gathered while young 
and pressed between blotting-paper. Six rounded sec- 




PIG. 68. — SILK LAMP-SHADE. 



tions, the proper length, square at the top, and graduat- 
ing toward the lower part, are cut out of glossy white 
paper, lined with pale pink silk, and pinked out in scal- 
lops around the edge. On these the ferns .are arranged 
fastened with fine green sewing-silk, and the lining 
caught to each section by a little fancy stitch. The top 
of the shade consists of two hexagons, made of card- 
boards covered with the pink silk, and edged with lace, 
between which the sections are fixed in. A round open- 
ing is cut in the top, to fit over the chimney, and care 
should be taken to have this large enough to prevent 
scorching. This shade can also be made very effective 
in spatter-work, on white Swiss muslin. 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



87 



Screens made to set on the table beside the lamp, to 
protect the eyes from the direct 
light, are pretty and useful, even 
when the light is softened by a 
shade. Fig. 69 shows a screen 
in the form of a banner mounted 
upon a stand. The stand may 
be bought, or, better yet, made 
of close - grained hard wood, 
ebonized. Some of these screens 
are very elaborate, with painting 
and embroidery; others are much 
plainer. The one here illustrated 
is made of a piece of handsome 
ribbon, which affords enough 
decoration in itself; it is fringed 
out an inch from the bottom, 
and has a band of velvet ribbon 
sewed on it just above the part 
fringed. A narrow hem is 
placed across the top, and it is 
attached to the rings with silk^^^ 
the color of the ribbon. 

A rather artistic design for a screen is shown in Fig. 
70. It is a paper hollyhock supported on a small easel. 
The flower is made of three shades of pink or other 
colored tissue-paper, the leaves being cut in three sizes 
varying an inch in circumference. When finished the 
flower should be twelve inches in diameter. The centre 
is made of two shades of yellow paper, fringed, and the 
whole is arranged upon a pasteboard six inches in diam- 
eter. On this all the leaves are pasted, beginning at 
outer edge, after they have been folded so as to make 
them full. Cover the back with green paper. Mount 
on a small easel which will hold it at the proper height. 
The easel should be long and n?.:Tow, and the flower 




69. 



A BANNER LAMP- 
SCREEN. 



88 



OUR HOMES: HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



fastened to the very top. Cut the easel from heavy 
cardboard, or make it of wood with three cross-pieces. 
Make a joint in the back leg by cutting and joining with 
a little piece of morocco or silk. Cover all with plush 
or gild." 




FIG. 70. — A FLOWER LAMP SCREElir. 



A screen for a small night lamp made be made by tak- 
ing a piece of pasteboard twelve inches wide by twenty 
long, and covering it with material on which a neat 
pattern has been worked. Draw a line through the cen- 
tre so as to make two leaves, each ten by twelve inches, 
and with a sharp penknife cut along this line, taking 
care to cut only about half way through the board, and 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 89 

the leaves will fold easily but still remain firmly together. 
Take a few stitches with a needle and stout thread from 
one leaf to the other to strengthen them. The cover 
may be made of silk, embroidered, or of linen with a 
pattern on it in outline. Java canvas, worked with 
some simple pattern in cross-stitch, makes a pretty cover. 
The cover and lining, which may be either of silk or 
linen, are basted smoothly on each side of the paste- 
board, and the edges bound with narrow ribbon. The 
small brass holders, such as are employed for holding 
photographs, are used for supports. One of these on 
each leaf is all that is necessary for a small screen, but 
for a larger one, two on each leaf would be required. 
Instead of the brass holders, small blocks of wood, with 
a groove cut in the top to hold the screen, may he used. 
They may either be painted a color to harmonize with 
that of the screen, or stained a dark brown or black, 
and oiled or varnished. 



DECOEATIYE PANELS. 

The modern style of decorative panels allows those 
who cannot ..fford costly pictures to produce a pleas- 
ing, cheerful effect in their rooms, at a moderate outlay. 
The panels are used to break up the bare spaces 
between windows and in other parts of the room, and 
the size may be proportioned to the space they are 
to occupy. The material is usually well-seasoned wood, 
and for some purposes heavy bookbinder^s board or 
very stiff pasteboard may be employed. These are first 
painted with two or more coats of some warm gray or 
other neutral tint, mixed wdth much turpentine, so 
that when dry they will present a dead surface with- 
out any gloss. The decoration of the panel is usually a 
vine or a branch, which will allow^ of the introduction 
of bright colors for the flowers and pleasing tints of 



90 



OUK HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



green and brown for the foliage and stems. Bright- 
colored insects may also be introduced. 

Another method is to decorate the panels with real 
objects. This is peculiarly well adapted to those who 
do not paint. A cluster of nicely dried grasses, a group 
of graceful ferns, or a tasteful arrangement of brilliant 




FIG. 71. — DECOKATIYE PANELS WITH NATURAL OBJECTS. 



autumn leaves, may be made very effective. We have 
seen pleasing panels, in which birds, made up by gum- 
ming real feathers to a cardboard form, were intro- 
duced, with a branch upon which they were resting, 
painted in. Lichens, mosses, cones, and other hand- 
some objects may be used to decorate panels with very 
pleasing results. Fig. 71 shows two designs for planes 



SCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



91 



of this kind. The panels are of pine, oak, or other 
wood oiled on the grain. The cat-tails are gathered 




FIG. 72. — SATIN PANEL. 



and dried, the leaves being pressed. When perfectly 
dry, fasten the cat-tails on with small tacks, and gum 
the leaves in place. Tack a butterfly on the upper 



92 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



corners, leaving the wings free, as though flying. If a 
natural butterfly cannot be procured, a painted or silk 
one will answer. For an oak-leaf panel, select the 
leaves when they are turning red, and press them. 
Tack a small branch upon the panel, and gum on the 
leaves. Place a nest on the branch, with a stuffed bird 
bending over it. 

Fig. 72 shows a style of panel also ornamented with 
natural objects, but of more decorative material than 
those last described. It is made of light-blue satin and 
garnet plush, and may have either natural peacock 
feathers for decoration, or cat-tails and pressed leaves. 
The materials needed for a pair are one yard of light- 
blue satin, threequarters of a yard of garnet plush, 
some thin pasteboard, dark paper muslin, and the 
feathers, cat-tails, and leaves. For the foundation use a 

piece of pasteboard twenty- 
nine inches long and fifteen 
wide, and baste the satin on, 
leaving the space at the top 
and bottom to be covered 
with the plush which is blind- 
stitched on. Then fasten the 
feathers, cat-tails, etc., in 
place, and finish the back by 
basting the muslin over it to 
protect it. 

To produce the panel shown 
in Fig. 73, take a strip of 
canoe- or paper-birch bark 
and split it until the pieces 
are very thin ; cut from one 
of these papery strips a little 
figure of Kate Greenaway 
style, or any Mother Goose character desired. Paste the 
figure carefully on a panel of black cardboard, and with 




BIRCH-BARK PANEL. 



LCREENS, PLAQUES, AND PANELS. 



93 



pen and ink draw the few lines necessary to designate 
the arms, dress, etc. A few strokes Avith a paint-brush 
to represent grass at the feet of the figure are all that is 
necessary. If the bark is hard, soak it in water before 
splitting. Mount the card on an easel. 



74, 



PLAQUE WITH MATCH-STRIKE. 

A unique and tasteful match-strike is shown in Fig. 
It may be made on a base of thick card, or on one 




FIG. 74. — MATCH-STRIKE. 

of the round pasteboard plaques about three inches in 
diameter, obtainable at any bookstore for a few cents. A 
picture of a dog's head or a group of Kate Greenaway 
children, or of a variety of other things, is painted on 
the plaque. A piece of sand-paper is cut the exact size 
of the plaque, and the two are glued together, a loop of 
narrow ribbon having first been placed between. Such 
match strikes, when hung on the gas fixture, the edge 
of the mantel, or beside the table, are useful and orna- 
mental. 



94 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



CHAPTER V. 

DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 

ARRANGIN^G FLOWERS FOR THE HOUSE. 

No other materials have the decorative vahie of flowers 
and foliage. The gay bridal is made brighter by their 
presence, and the solemn funeral is less sombre where 
these emblems of immortality are seen. No decoration 
is more chaste and refined. A humble kitchen which 
has its window filled with growing plants has an air of 
more refinement than a drawing-room fitted up with 
gaudy splendor. There is no purpose to speak here of 
methods of cultivating flowers and plants, as many able 
books are devoted to that subject, but merely to suggest 
how they may be employed for decorative purposes. 

In arranging flowers for the house it is well to bear in 
mind what has been said in other parts of this work 
regarding harmony of color. To produce the best effect 
flowers should be arranged not only to avoid violent 
contrast among themselves, but also in such a manner 
that the general effect shall be in keeping with the sur- 
roundings. There are many shades of mauve and 
magenta in dahlias and petunias which produce any- 
thing but a pleasing effect in contact with positive red 
or blue, and should not be used. Bright scarlet flowers 
produce an unpleasant contrast in immediate connection 
with dark blues. As a general thing all shades of pink, 
light blue, and yellow harmonize with every kind of 
environment, while green and white can scarcely be out 
of place anywhere. In vases or flat dishes a far more 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 95 

pleasing effect is produced by an open and easy arrange- 
ment, than a stiff and formal one. In cutting flowers, 
there is often great waste. If one cuts a bouquet, 
allowing each flower a stem long enough to reach the 
water, and makes it up as the materials are gathered, a 
large share of the flowers will be hidden, and many buds 
be sacrificed that should have been allowed to remain on 
until open. From the same materials, a florist, or one 
with a little of his superior skill, would make two hand- 
some bouquets, and both of them better in appearance 
than one thus put together. Where there is a great 
profusion of flowers, the waste in this careless arrange- 
ment is not of so much consequence; but where flowers 
are few, it is well to make them go as far as possible. 
To practise all the flower- saving methods of the bouquet- 
maker would require more time than most persons 
would care to give, but one of their styles takes but little 
time, and is very effective: the arrangement of flowers 




Fia. 75.— A DISH FOR FLOWERS. 

in plates and other dishes. Figs. 75 and 76 show how 
a great saving can be effected. The material for keep- 
ing the flowers moist may be sand or moss. If sand, it 
should be free from pebbles, and. if sea-sand is used, it 
must be washed, to remove the salt. When used, it 
must be damp enough to hold the shape into which it is 
formed; if too wet, it will run. For moss, sphagnum, 
or peat moss, is best; allow it to dry, rub it up between 
the hands to break it up well, then wet it, and squeeze 



96 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



it in the hands as nearly dry as may be. In the absence 
of sphagnum^ some of the mosses that grow in sheets 
upon rocks and around the bases] of tree-trunks will 
answer. Pick out leaves, stems, etc., and break up the 
moss, so it will hold the shape into which it is fashioned. 
In gathering flowers to arrange in this manner, long 
stems are not needed. A good supply of green should 
not be forgotten. In making up, begin below and build 




FIG. 76. — A DTSH OF FLOWERS. 

upwards, using green to hide the sand or moss wherever 
needed. Arranging in this manner admits of great 
variety, not only in the disposition of the flowers, but in 
the shape of the vessel used and the form given to the 
groundwork. Some flowers, like balsams, clematis, 
etc., show to the best advantage when looked directly 
down upon, and such should have a flat or but slightly 
convex foundation. The engraving. Fig. 75, shows a 
groundwork that is ready, and Fig. 76, the arrange ment 
completed. 



PLAKTS IK WINDOWS. 



Fig. 77 shows a very pretty arrangement of grow- 
ing plants in a window which extends to the floor. In 
the centre of the window a stand may be placed to hold 
the largest plant, where it will appear to the best advan- 
tage. Pots of ivy may be placed in the corners, and the 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 97 

vines trained up the casings, and around the ceiling. 
The floor should be covered with oil-cloth, or well 
painted, and the shelves and all the woodwork ought 
also to be given several coats of paint, that they may not 
be aifected by the moisture which frequent syringing 




FIG. 77 — WINDOW WITH PLANTS. 

will leave behind. It is a good plan to have holes 
through the floor to allow surplus water to run off. Bay 
windows, in which plants are kept, should always be 
shut off from the room by glazed doors. In this way 
the moisture can be regulated to a nicety, all dust aris- 
ing from sweeping kept out, and the plant will be much 
healthier than when grown in a window Avithout doors. 

Instead of training ivy or other climbing plant close 
to the inside of the window -frame, a neat trellis adds 
much to the effect. The trellises shown in Fig. 78 are 
made of the material of a departed hoop-skirt, but if 
such a thing is not at hand, small wire will serve. After 
.7 



98 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



shaping the parts and fastening them together by wind- 
ing with cotton cord, the whole is painted some quiet 
color. The trellises are then fastened to strong but slim 
sticks, the lower ends of which are inserted in the pots 
containing the plants. 

A box like that shown in Fig. 79 can be so applied to 
the outside of any window, as to be an ornament, and a 
constant source of pleasure throughout the summer, and 
when frosts come the box may be changed to the inside, 
and be refurnished, replacing exhausted plants with 
others, and be a thing of beauty and joy all the winter. 
It may be made of inch boards, a foot or so in width and 
depth, as long as the window is wide, and can be filled 




FIG. 78. — TRELLIS FOR WINPOW PLANTS. 

up with little work. It is strengthened by screwing 
upon all the inside corners, including the bottom ones, 
pieces of tin cut two inches wide, and bent at right 
angles, to fit in closely. The bottom rests on the win- 
dow ledge, and is held from slipping off by a hook from 
the under-side, closing into a ring fastened into the 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 



99 



window-sill. The outer side of the box is supported by 
a twisted wire cord, running from a ring in each corner 
up to rings at the sides of the window. Before setting 
it in place, stain the box in imitation of walnut, or orna- 
ment with some simple distinct pattern, with two colors 
of paint. They should be such as will harmonize with 
the room. Bright red should be avoided, or indeed any 
shade of red, as it will not harmonize well with some 
delicate colored flowers. If some regular pattern of 




FIG. 79— A WINDOW BOX. 



floor oil-cloth is used to cover the box. when seen from 
a little distanC3 it will appear as if covered with tiles. 
The pots containing the plants are arranged in the box, 
and sphagnum or other moss packed between, to retain 
moisture. German ivy and Kenilworth ivy are good for 
trailing over the edge. Ferns, some kinds of ornamental 
gra-s, geraniums, begonias, callas, verbenas, and the 
small-flowered petunias, are all desirable. Rose-colored 
and scarlet flowers in the same box do not have a good 
effect. There should always be white flowers mixed in 
with bright-colored ones, and for these sweet alyssum 
does well. When any plant goes out of bloom, the pot 
can be removed and another set in its place, without 
disturbing the other plants in the box. 



100 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



FLORAL AWKII^GS. 

Figs. 80 and 81 show a style of awning which serves 
the double purpose of shade and ornament. The frame 




FIG. 80— A CLEMATIS AWNING. 



is made of lath, with a small hoop on either side, the 
method of construction being so plainly shown that no 




FIG. 81. — A MOKNTNG-GLORY AWNING. 

description is necessary. It is made easily in the season 
and the climbing plant trained on it, 



DECORATIOKS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 101 



THE IVY AS A DECORATIVE PLANT. 

No plant adapts itself so well to purposes of home 
decorations as the European Ivy (Hedera helix). It 
will grow in situations where no sunshine reaches it^ and 
on this account it can be trained about pictures and 
along the ceiling, and it always has a cheerful look. It 
ought not to be fastened to the wall, but be suspended 
in such a way that it can easily be taken down occa- 
sionally for a washing. Dust should never be allowed 
to accumulate on its leaves to hide their beauty. The 
only insect that troubles the Ivy is the scale. When 
this appears, every leaf and the entire branches should 
be washed in soap-suds or water to which aqua am- 
monia has been added at the rate of a tablespoonful to 
a quart of water, using a tooth-brush to loosen the in- 
sects' hold on them. After giving it a thorough cleans- 
ing, syringe well with clear water. The best soil for 
Ivies is ordinary garden loam and sand, with which a 
liberal quantity of bone-meal is mixed. This fertilizer 
seems to meet their wants better than anything else. 

The growth is slow at first, but it is increasingly 
rapid, and each year the plant will reward patient care, 
by becoming more beautiful and more valuable. Per- 
haps the best time to begin with Ivy would be to get the 
plant in the spring, and to grow it through the sum- 
mer, and take it in-doors in autumn. But there are so 
many things to do in spring that one does not then 
care to prepare for winter. Fortunately, one can, but 
for the loss of the season's growth, just as well begin 
during the winter, when the desire for such decoration is 
the strongest. The nurserymen and florists generally 
have Ivy in pots, at twenty-five or fifty cents, accord- 
ing to the size. One of these can be bought, or a single 
cutting, a branch a foot or two long, may be bought, or 
procured of some friend who has the plant. There are 



102 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



many varieties of Ivy, and mucli confusion as to names. 
The variegated kinds are not so desirable, and those with 
small, deeply-cut leaves are of slow growth. The 
large-leaved kind, known generally as Irish Ivy, is one 
of the best. If one gets a plant in a pot, and the ball 
of earth is crowded with roots, transfer it to a larger 
pot. But a twig, longer or shorter, with roots or with- 
out, will make a beginning, and the rest will follow. 




rVY AS WESTDOW DRAPERY. 



If the Ivy stem has no roots, fill a glass, a little vase, or 
whatever will hold it, with clean sand, stick in the Ivy, 
covering a few inches of the lower end, from which the 
leaves have been cut, and set it on the table or wherever 
else it will be ornamental. Keep the sand very wet, 
and in a few weeks, more or less, the Ivy will have 
thrown out roots ; then transfer it to a pot of good soil, 
supply it with a stick to which it is to be tied, and keep 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 103 

it in a room that is not over-heated. Give water as 
needed ; once a week go over the leaves one at a time 
with a soft damp cloth. Should the plant freeze, let it 
tliaw very gradually, and no harm will come, unless it 
should be in growth. Unless in a very warm room, 




FIG. 83 .—IVY FOE, A SCREEN. 

growth will not start until towards spring, when danger 
of frost is over. Should new shoots be pushing, take 
care that it does not freeze. The future growth of the 
plant is easily controlled, and should be guided accord- 
ing to the use to be made of it ; one, two, or more lead- 
ing shoots being permitted to grow, and the rest stopped 
by pinching their ends. 

In Paris, one frequently sees it used as drapery to win- 
dows, as shown in Fig. 82; the plants being in boxes 
and the stems trained up on the outside of the window ; 
while a similar effect is produced on the inside by the 
jjlants in pots or boxes. Its general use in that city is 
shown by the vast numbers in pots sold by the plant 
venders. 

Another use for Ivy is shown in Fig. 83. A plant box. 



104 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



with rollers to allow it to be moved^ has a wire trellis at 
the back. Two iron rods are firmly fixed at the cor- 
ners, and wires stretched between them. Several small 
plants set in light rich soil will soon form a dense 
screen for the front of the fire- 
place in summer and as a window 
screen in winter. A pleasing 
manner of forming a window or- 
nament of Ivy is shown in Fig. 84. 
Ivy stems are planted in a pot 
hung by three wires, and trained 
above and below it, upon supports 
of wire. Ivy is readily trained 
and with a little care one can 
make it grow in any desired shape. 
If a small plant has its terminal 
bud pinched off, this causes two 
FIG?. 84. branches to start from the axils of 

the upper leaves ; these when a few inches long are 
pinched, and as other branches grow they are treated 
in the same manner. 

Ivy may be trained around the window-frame, may 
encircle a mirror or joictu re-frame, may be run along 
the cornice or wherever fancy or taste suggests. Where 
adjoining rooms connect by folding-doors, the openings 
may be festooned with the vines in the most pleasing 
manner. Fig. 85 show part of such a doorway, there 
being a corresponding pot on the oj^posite side. Halls 
and stairways may often be decorated with Ivy. 




DRIED GRASSES AJ^D OTHER PLAKTS. 

Very tasteful decorations are made of dried grasses 
with cat- tails, ferns, everlasting flowers^ bright berries, 
and autumn leaves. The grain fields, the meadows and 
roadsides, as well as the swamps and marshy plr.C3S 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 105 




Fia. 85.— IVY DECORATION IN AKCHWAY. 



106 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

afford a great variety. Grasses and immortelles should 
be cut when they seem to be in perfection, and dried 
rapidly in the shade. Those of a stiff appearance, such 
as have their flowers in an erect spike, may be tied in 
small clusters, and hung to dry with their heads down- 
wards. Other grasses, with their flowers in graceful 
panicles, would be spoiled by this treatment. For these, 
provide a box of convenient size, filled with dry sand ; 
the stems of the grasses can be stuck in the sand, and 
the flower clusters will dry in a natural position. A 




FIG. »b. — MIKADO HANGING BASKET. 



garret or any unused room will answer for drying the 
grasses, and they may be left in the boxes of sand until 
wanted for making up into bouquets. Select a damp 
time for making up the dried grasses into bunches or 
bouquets, as otherwise they may be so brittle that many 
of the smaller stems will be broken off. There are di- 
rections given for coloring, bronzing, and otherwise 
giving grasses an unnatural appearance. We consider 
all these in bad taste. Colored grasses are disgusting ; 
those that are dried in the shade will keep their beauti- 



DECORATIONS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 



107 



ful natural colors. Autumn leaves should be gathered 
when they have attained their brightest tints, and 
pressed between sheets of blotting paper until thor- 
oughly dry, by pressing with a hot flat-iron or dried 
immediately after they are gathered. The bright seed- 




FIG. 87. — BASKET WITH DRIED GRASSES. 

vessels of the climbing bitter-sweet {Celastrus scandens), 
or of its near kindred the strawberry bush {Euonymus 
atropurpureus) , are very effective. A very neat and 
showy arrangement is shown in Fig. 86. It is an in- 
verted Japanese umbrella, suspended by ribbons of old 
gold or pale blue, and filled with flowers and grasses. 



108 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



In Fig. 87 a small basket is taken as a foundation, 
into which the grasses, ferns, etc., are tastefully ar- 
ranged. The edge of the basket may be decorated with 
small pine and spruce cones, while lichens may be used 
to represent soil in which the ferns, etc., are placed, as 
if growing. One who possesses a Haliotis, or Ear Shell, 




FIG. 88. — EAR SHELL WITH FERNS. 



can turn it to good account, as in Fig. 88. It will make 
a suitable base to a cluster of ferns, grasses, etc., and at 
the same time serve as a receptacle for small articles. 
Very fine steel wire, such as the florists used in making 
up bouquets and designs in flowers, will be found very 
useful in arranging these winter decorations ; it is very 
strong and almost invisible. 



DIKING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATIONS. 109 



CHAPTER VI. 
DINING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATIONS. 

The way in which food is served has an important 
influence upon children in the forming of their habits. 
A proper care in laying the table at each meal with 
neatness and order, with the same service when the 
family only are present as when there are visitors, gives 
ease and manners to all. Should unexpected company 
arrive at time of meals, the spotless table-linen, clean 
glass, and bright silver show a home of true refinement. 

Breakfast being necessarily an informal meal, there 
is less ceremony than at dinner. Fruit, if used, stands 
upon the table ; as all the family can seldom be present 
at the same time, other things are kept hot in the 
kitchen and brought to the guests as they arrive. An 
English family that entertains with bountiful hospi- 
tality serves breakfast to their guests at any hour of 
the morning, but in a private family guests should ob- 
serve the rules of courtesy by adapting themselves to 
the breakfast hour, as also to all other customs of the 
family they are visiting, as delays of this kind often 
make a deal of trouble and extra work. 

Nothing is so suitable for a dinner table-cloth and 
napkins as pure white damask. For breakfast and 
lunch red damask looks well and washes admirably, but 
colored embroideries on white, or any elaborate work 
where changes for washing are so often made, seem al- 
together unsuitable. Flowers are a pretty adornment 
for the table, but they should not be profuse. A slen- 
der vase at each end of the table with flowers of a single 



110 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



kind, with their leaves, are much prettier than bou- 
quets of mixed colors. A very desirable addition to the 
table is a small tea-kettle of copper, bronze, or polished 
brass, with its alcohol lamp, to keep the water at boil- 
ing point all through the breakfast or tea. The hot 
water is used to heat the cups before pouring the tea 
or coffee, and to regulate its strength. 

tray-cloths for the table. 

The devices called '' tray-cloths,^^ take the place of a 
tray upon the table, and are useful, as they save a long 
table-cloth many a washing, besides which they greatly 




FIG. 89. — A NEAT TEA TRAY-CLOTH. 



enhance the beauty of the table service. The tea tray- 
cloth. Fig. 89, is made of pure white '^ Momie cloth," 
half a yard wide. It takes a yard for one tray-cloth ; 
a very nice quality of the material can be bought for 
forty cents a yard. Plain white linen can be used if 
preferred. The material is fringed out on each end, 
for three and a half inches. A row of drawn work is 
above the fringe on each end. The designs in the cor- 
ners and centre, can be found among the transfer pat- 
terns at one cent each ; they are applied with a warm 
iron, and worked in outline stitch with red or blue 
working-cotton. In sending for the patterns, be sure 



DINING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATIONS. 



Ill 



to ask for blue ones if they are to be used on white, 
and red patterns, if for dark colors. The carver^s 
cloth. Fig. 90, is fringed all around ; the designs are 
worked on in the way already described. This cloth 
can be made of plain linen, or Momie cloth ; the latter 
is now in favor for the tray-cloths, as it is somewhat 




IlilillllllllWl taiWLJ) llliilHl II [WIIHI 11111 llJllllMlliUlBliJiUllUkii 111 ILillk 1 1 'I l|l 

FIG. 90. — A caryer's tray-cloth. 



thicker than the plain linen, and therefore affords bet- 
ter protection to the table-cloth than those made of 
thinner material. 



TEAPOT COSEYS. 

A Teapot Cosey is a most useful and elegant addition 
to the tea table. It is really a thickly padded cover, 
placed over tlie teapot, thus excluding the air and keep- 
ing the tea hot for hours. When members of the fam- 
ily are belated through trains being overdue, or unex- 
pected visitors arrive, the welcome tea is hot, steaming 
and fragi^ant for them, without waiting for the kettle to 
boil in order to make a new supply. Every tea-drinker 
should know that keeping the tea hot on the stove spoils 
the flavor of the beverage, since by this method the bit- 



112 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



ter tannin, which is the astringent principle, is extracted 
from the leaves. 

To make the cosey, shown in Fig. 91, cut two pieces 
of cloth a little longer than the height of the teapot. 




rEAPOT COSEY. 



and half a yard wide, shaping them as in the engraving. 
Line and wad each piece with raw cotton to ahout two 
inches in thickness, turn in the halves face to face, over- 
cast them neatly together ; then join the two cushions 











FIG. 93.— A PRETTIER COSEY 



SO made around the arch, leaving them open at the base. 
Finish all round the edge with a pretty cord, making a 
few loops at the top for a handle with which to lift the 
cosey from the teapot. The material can be of colored 



DIKING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATION'S. 113 

plush, velvet, satin, silk, or, indeed, almost any goods, 
and ornamented with an embroidered spray on each side, 
or a spray on one side and initials or monogram on the 
other. A cosey made of embroidered wine-colored vel- 
vet, lined with old-gold satin, edged with old-gold silk 
cord, will make an acceptable Christmas gift. 

A still prettier design is shown in Fig. 92. The shape 
resembles a cap, and the size is governed by that of the 
teapot it is to cover. The cosey can be decorated with 
embroidery or with Japanese figures in bright colors cut 
from cretonne, and transferred upon dark flannel. 
Others have merely lettering, as '' Take a cup and drink 
it up, and call the neighbors in," or " The cup that 
cheers, but not inebriates." For the lining cut out two 
caps of chamois, the same size as the cloth. Baste a 
layer of cotton on these, and afterward join all together 
at the bottom of the cosey. 

DECORATIONS FOR THE TABLE. 

In matters of the table, the question how far the eye 
shall be gratified, as well as the palate, must be decided 
by the circumstances of each housekeeper. We cannot 
expect the farmer's wife who, with several children 
to care for, has to provide the three meals a day for her 
husband and several hired men, to look much after the 
ornamentation of the table. If she can provide a fairly 
clean tablecloth, and tolerably bright knives, forks, and 
spoons, she does well. Indeed, these are the very foun- 
dation of all table adornment, for where these are wanting 
all ornamentation of dishes is out of place. There is a great 
deal in the way of doing little things, and one house- 
keeper will have her table neat and attractive, while that 
of another, with exactly the same means, will be the re- 
verse. If there are strawberries for tea — as there should 
be in every farm-house in the season, the farmer's wife 
8 



114 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

may well spend a few minutes in placing strawberry 
leaves around the edge of the dish, no matter how com- 
mon the ware. If there are grapes for dessert, a few 
leaves and tendrils among the clusters give an easily added 
beauty. A housekeeper who cares to make her table at- 
tractive will find it a great help to have a few roots of 
parsley in the garden in summer, or in a box of earth in 
the kitchen window in winter. It is a small matter, to 
be sure, but the brightness that a few green leaves, con- 
trasted with the white china and white table-cloth, bring 
to the table, is worth just the little trouble required to 
secure it. A few leaves of parsley around any dish of 
cold meats converts it into an object of beauty. The 
fern-leaved parsley is as easily grown as the common 
parsley, but it is so beautifully cut and frilled and 
fringed, that it is handsome enough to serve as the green 
to the finest bouquet. A box of it in the kitchen forms 
a cheerful ornament, and its leaves will be at hand when 
wanted. Of course Parsley is not the only material that 
may be used for garnishing dishes. A few slices of beet 
and carrot, cut crosswise, will set off a dish of sliced 
corned beef; sliced hard-boiled eggs may be used to or- 
nament a salad, etc. 

The table may be made bright and cheerful at very 
small cost to those who have to buy flowers, and at none 
at all for those who have them in their own gardens. 
Low vases, or flower-dishes of sparkling cut-glass, filled 
with rosebuds, carnations, and violets, set here and there 
on the table, are exceedingly pretty, and are preferred 
by many to taller ones, as they less obstruct the view 
across the board. But for a large dinner-party, a centre- 
piece of fruit and flowers seems necessary. If expense is 
not considered, a handsome epergne or crystal rose- 
glass like a large bowl, resting on a circular plate-glass 
mirror, and filled with fragrant blossoms, is always 
beautiful; but if neither of thse is convenient, an excel- 



DINING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATIONS. 115 

lent device may be arranged with articles to be fonnd in 
every house (Figs. 93 and 94). Take a large platter, round 
or oval, and set an inverted saucer upon it. On this place 
a glass fruit-dish, and into this two goblets with their 
feet firmly bound together with ribbon, the lower one 




FIG. 93.— DISHES ARRANGED FOR A CENTRE-PIECE. 



being inverted, and the upper standing upright. If pre- 
ferred, a tall, slender glass vase may be used in place of 
the upper goblet. This forms an extempore epergne, 
and to fill it lay ferns and large leaves round the edge of 
the platter, slipping the stems under the edge of the 
saucer to keep them in place. Heap the plate with fruit, 
mingling a few flowers for color. Over the edge of the 
high dish hang ferns, ivy, or smilax, to trail gracefully 
down, and fill in with grapes, or any other fruit. Fill the 
upper goblet with water, and set in it a bouquet, from 
which droops smilax, or some other creeper, to conceal 
the glasses. 

In cold weather, when flowers are very high priced, 
and in some places not to be obtained at all, fruit and 
berries alone can be used. Bright red and yellow ap- 
ples, and a few grapes, mixed with wild berries and 
grasses gathered from the fields, as bitter-sweet, burning- 



116 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

bush, mountain asli berries, and sweet berries, the blue 
berries of the Virginia creeper, all work in effectively 
and form very pretty ornaments. — A growing plant, par- 
ticularly if in bloom, looks very well on a dining-table, if 
planted in a decorated china or Japanese flower-pot. — 
Small bouquets of choice flowers are frequently provided 
for the guests, either placed in tiny bouquet-holders, or 
laid beside each plate. For ladies, the buttonhole 
bouquet is perfect composed of several flowers tastefully 
arranged, while each gentleman has a buttonhole flower, 
which differs from the bouquet in being simply a single 
blossom, like a rosebud or tuberose, with a sweet- 
scented leaf for a background. The stems of the flowers 




FIG. 94. — CENTBE-PIECE PAHTLY FILLED. 

should be covered with damp cotton and wrapped in tin- 
foil. Two or three violets and a rose-geranium leaf are 
dropped in the finger-bowls to perfume the water, and 
be rubbed gently through the fingers. 

Fig. 95 shows a very neat device for ornamenting a 
table with growing plants or artificial substitutes. It is 
made of six pieces of thin wood neatly glued together, 



DINING-ROOM AND TABLE DECORATIONS. 117 

and a board fitted in for the bottom. When made of 
oak it can be left the natural color of the wood or gilded, 
but if of pine, paint it black or brown. Paint some ob- 
jects on the sides in colors which will harmonize with 
the plants that are to be held. After the flower-pot is 




FIG. 95.— A JARDINIERE FOR THE TABLE. 



placed in, lay moss over the top to conceal it from view. 
If large brass-headed nails are used for feet, the jardiniere 
will be finished. 



TO KEEP THE PITCHER COOL. 

A device for keeping the heat out of an ice-pitcher 
and thus Is shown in Fig. 96. It is made of heavy brown 
paper, interlined with three layers of cotton batting. A 



118 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



piece is made to fit around the pitcher, and a round 
piece fitted in the top of that ; these are overhanded to- 
gether. A coyer is made to slip over this of a pretty 













FIG. 96. — COYER FOR ICE-WATER PITCHER. 



pattern of sateen ; some appropriate design can be 
selected, or it can be made of a plain color, and orna- 
mented to suit the taste. Handles made of picture-cord 
are drawn through each side to lift it up by. 



FITTING UP 15 ED ROOMS. 119 



CHAPTER VII. 

FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 

OUR SLEEPING-ROOMS. 

In planning the house it is quite too common to make 
the sleeping-rooms too small. One third of every aver- 
age human life is spent in bed, yet the smallest apart- 
ments in the house are generally those used as sleeping- 
rooms. The parlors, though little used, are made ample 
in size, while the rooms in which so large a portion of 
life is spent are in many cases made little larger than 
closets. Sleeping-rooms should be spacious, bright and 
cheery. As far as practicable they should be accessible 
to sunshine. Ventilation should be regularly attended 
to. If the windows and doors are kept closed '' for fear 
of night air,'' and the atmosphere of the room is stifling 
in consequence, headache and many other ills will fol- 
low. As soon as a bedroom is vacated in the morning, 
the sunshine and air should be freely admitted, the bed 
opened and thoroughly aired before the room is settled. 
Soiled towels and clothing, stale bouquets, foul water, 
and everything which can vitiate the atmosphere of the 
room should be promptly removed. An open fire-place 
in a sleeping-room is a very desirable means of comfort 
and health. A small fire on cool evenings will make the 
room bright, wholesome, and cheerful, while the current 
of warm air up the chimney carries away foul air and 
promotes ventilation. 

The furniture and decoration of a bedroom should be 
arranged with a view, first of all, to convenience, and 



120 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

next to simplicity. The windows should not be muffled 
with heavy curtains and lambrequins^ and all heavy drap- 
eries of woollen or silken fabrics are undesirable in a bed- 
room. Such a room may be made extremely cosey and 
attractive with very little outlay. There is a nameless 
charm about a bedroom showing tasteful domestic handi- 
work, which is wanting in many gorgeous chambers. 

The bed is of course the article of first importance. 
Great changes for the better are observable in the fash- 
ions for bedsteads. Instead of the towering headboards 
of a few years ago, neat and artistic forms are now made. 
Those of brass are handsome, cleanly, and durable. 
White Marseilles or otlier spreads are neat and washable, 
but they give a cold and formal air to the room, which 
is avoided by the use of more recently-introduced fabrics 
in old gold, light blue, or red. If pillow-shams are used 
they should be attached to some kind of a " holder/^ 
The other necessary articles are a washstand, mirror, 
and crockery. There is a great variety of decorated 
china and earthenware which cost very little more than 
the plain white ware, and go far toward making the 
room bright and attractive. 

When guests are received, they should at least be 
treated as well as the family, and even a little extra 
attention would not be amiss. Have the room as pleas- 
ant and cheery as possible. If there is a closet in it, do 
not think it necessary to fill it up with the family gar- 
ments that look to the visitor's eye as if they were des- 
tined to hang there for years. A guest does not enjoy 
'Hiving in her trunk,'' and merely a hook or two strand- 
ed off in a dark corner on which to hang her choicest gar- 
ments, are very unsatisfactory. A bureau with drawers 
unlocked, as well as unfilled, is an absolute necessity to 
one who has been living ''like folks" at home. A^o 
amount of little tables decorated with the daintiest scarfs 
will take its place. A rocking-chair is desirable, and a 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



121 



hassock would not come amiss. A pen and ink are not 
superfluous to one who has left loving friends at home, 
and yet in beautifully furnished houses, how customary 
it is, when ink is asked for, to produce the family ink 
bottle, which is liable to be called back at any moment, 
thus leaving the visitor under the necessity of writing 
her next letter with a lead pencil. A small writing-desk 
conveniently furnished with its inkstand, pens, paper, 
and stamps, would certainly add to the comfort of those 
who may have been warmly welcomed. 

HANDKERCHIEF PILLOW-SHAM. 

Fig. 97 shows a pillow-sham formed of four linen hem- 
stitched handkerchiefs, joined together with a fancy 




■piQ^ 97.— HANDKEECHTEF PrLLOW-SHAM. 

stitch. They are easily made, and, in comparison with 
the tucked and ruffled ones, easily laundried, and they 
present a neat and attractive appearance on the bed. 
They can be lined with pink or blue silesia if one de- 



122 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



sires ; but there is nothing prettier for them than spot- 
less white. The size of the handkerchiefs will depend 
on the size the sham is to be. A very good quality for 
such purposes can be purchased for fifteen cents. The 
shams are edged with linen antique lace. A slip for 
baby's carriage pillow can be made of a single handker- 
chief, edged with the lace. An embroidered sham over 
a pillow of pink sateen is very handsome. 

DESIGif FOR A HOP PILLOW. 

The hop pillow seen in Fig. 98 is made in the shape 
of a sofa-cushion of unbleached muslin, with a cover of 
gray linen that can be slipped off and washed. A branch 




Fia. 



-HOP PILLOW. 



of hop vine is embroidered on it in outline stitch, with 
olive-green and red crewels ; just a dash of the red is 
used here and there on the leaves. A dark-red cord fin- 
ishes the edge ; a bow of ribbon of the same shade is 
placed in one corner. 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 123 



PIN-CUSHIONS FOK THE TOILET-TABLE. 

A design for a pin-cushion in the form of a water-lily, 
is shown at Fig. 99. A quarter of a yard each of white, 
yellow and olive felt is sufficient for three flowers. 
Make a round cusJiion, four inches in diameter^ of the 
yellow felt, and stuff with wool. Some of the same felt 
is fringed and sewed around it to represent stamens. 
From the white cloth cut six half circles ; lay a pleat in 
each and arrange around the centre. Then from the 
olive felt cut larger half circles and sew these around 




FIG. 99. — ■WATER-LILY CUSHION. 

all. Make a stand of heavy cardboard, cover and sew 
the lily and leaves to it. Veins in the olive-colored 
leaves can be worked if liked. 

Another very novel design is shown in Fig. 100. The 
three bags joined together with a large bow appear to 
furnish the bureau, and give it a tasteful appearance. 
The cushions for the bags are made separately; they 
measure five inches each way, are made of some soft mus- 
lin, and filled with sawdust which has been sifted, and 
the finer it is the better. The outside can be made of 
silk, satin, or plush, all of the same color, or each bag of 
different colors that blend well together. Pink, blue, 
and cream color form a pretty combination, and can be 
used in either a pink or blue room. Make the outside 



124 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

an inch longer than the bags or cushions, slip them in 
the coverings, and tie them together at the toj). Fasten 
a large bow of several loops and ends at the top. If the 




FIG. 100. — NEW FORM OF PIN-CUSHION. 

bags are of different colors, the bow should be tri-colored 
also. Some pin-cushions are made of one large bag ; 
the top trimmed with lace. 

BED-EOOM toilet SET. 

The toilet set shown in Fig. 101 is of linen scrim, cut 
to fit the bureau, making allowance for the lace on the 
edge. This is hemmed all around with a narrow hem. 
A border four inches deep of buttercups and leaves is 
embroidered on it in natural shades with silks ; just 
above that, the threads are drawn out to the space of 
an inch and three quarters, and narrow ribbon run 
through the cross-threads, as shown in the engraving, 
and tied in little bows on the corners. It is edged with 
torchon lace, and lined with yellow surah. The cushion 
is made in the same manner. The toilet bottles, cov- 
ered with the yellow surah, stand upon little mats made 
of the same by plaiting up a straight piece of the surah 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



125 



three inches wide, half of this width being fringed out ; 
this is sewed around the bottom of the bottles. Eibbon 




FIG. 101.— CORNER FOR TOILET SET. 

of the same color is tied around the neck, with a full 
bow on the front. The effect is very pleasing. 



HOME-MADE RUGS. 



Rugs to lay in front of the bureau, fire-place, etc., 
are comfortable and can be made ornamental. The rug 




FIG. 102.— HOME-MADE RUG. 



shown in Fig. 102 is made of woolen rags, which are 
carefully cut into strips three quarters of an inch wide, 
on the bias if possible. These are sewed together as 



126 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



one would sew carpet rags. The middle of the 
formed of sixty-six blocks, each an eighth of 



rug IS 
I yard 



square, knit from the rags in plain knitting stitch. 
These are joined so that every alternate one is reversed 
— that is, the ribs formed by the knitting run horizon- 
tally in one, and vertically in the other block, as seen 
in the engraving. The border is knit six inches wide, 
of a solid color, dark red or maroon ; this is joined to 
the rug, the corners being mitred and sewed together. 
The centre, only, is lined with bed-ticking. 



HAIE-PIN^ BOX. 



Fig. 103 shows a receptacle for hair-pins. It is made 
of a tin box with crocheted cover stiffened and gilded. 




HAIR-PIN BOX. 



It is filled with curled horse-hair, and has a knitted 
cover. The top is made of zephyr, by knitting one row 
plain, and every other one by winding the zephyr around 
the first finger four times, and knitting it in. That 
makes a fluffy and soft material, into which to stick the 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



127 



pins. The cover is crocheted of macrame cord, in shell 
patterns to fit over the box. It is first stiHened with 
cold starch, and gilded when it is dry. 



A WORSTED LAMP-MAT. 



The beauty of the lamp-mat shown in Fig. 104 lies 
in the blending of colors. The mat is made of four 
shades of olive-green worsted, knit in garter-stitch, on 
medium-sized needles, into a strip three yards long, and 




FIG. 104.— PT^ETTY LAMrMAT. 



eighteen stitches wide. This is dampened and ironed; 
tl^en one edge is cut off and ravelled out to within a 
quarter of an inch of the other one ; this is left to be 
sawed on by. The bottom is made of a piece of paste- 
board about nine inches square, and covered on both 
sides with some dark material. The ravelled strip is 
sewed into this in rows, commencing from the outside 
with the darkest shade, each row lapping sufficiently to 
hide the edge of the previous row, where it is sewed, as 
shown in the engraving. 



128 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



HOME-MADE TOILET-TABLE. 

A very substantial, convenient toilet-table, shown in 
Fig. 106, can be made at home with little outlay. It 
may be more or less tasteful, according to the skill of 
the worker and the covering material used. Selecting a 
strong packing-box (Fig. 105) of a convenient size, 
strengthen it with a few screws along each joining edge, 




FIG, 105. — THE BOX FOR TOILET TABLE. 

and screw a strip on each side to support a shelf. Upon 
the back screw an inch-thick board firmly, of suitable 
height to support a mirror. Now cover with any avail- 
able material of a color that suits the taste. Flowered 
chintz, a gray ground with pink roses over it, is very 
pretty and serviceable. A curtain around the front and 
two ends is securely tacked along the upper edge. A 
piece, the exact size of the top, is edged around with a 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



129 



ruffle two inches wide, and stretched over and tacked 
so that it hangs just below the edge. The mirror is 
held firmly by screwing it to the upright piece at the 
top and bottom. The mirror should be as tall as possi- 
ble. If the money to be expended is limited, use most 
of it on the glass and have a plainer frame. A car- 
penter will make a good-sized pine frame for a trifle. 




FIG. 106. — THE STAND COMPLETED. 



which can be stained to look like walnut thus: Give the 
wood two coats of a solution of about half an ounce of 
permanganate of potash to a quart of water. In a few 
minutes wash off with water, dry, and varnish. — A mat 
of white linen worked with bright- colored thread is 
laid on the top so that the fringed ends hang over the 
front. Before the mirror, place the pin-cushion, worked 
to correspond with the mat. 



130 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



JAPANESE CARD-RECEIVER. 

A scrap-receiver or catch-all may be made from an old 
Japanese fan. Eemove the fastening which holds the 
fan-sticks together at the bottom, and secure them with 
a strong thread. Cut away the side-pieces. Run a 
ribbon alternately through the loose part of the fan, 
and fasten it on the inside. Pass a thread through each 
fold at the top, and draw it to the size desired. Make 
a cornucopia of pasteboard to fit inside the covering. 
Cover neatly with silesia. Hang the receiver with a 
silk cord or narrow ribbon. Finish it at the bottom 
with a. bow of broad satin ribbon. Also place one near 
the top. If the ribbon employed is narrow, make many 
loops and ends to the bow. 



MIRROR decoratio:n^s. 

A very neat decoration for a mirror is a wide ribbon 
band and long bow, as shown in Fig. 106. The straight 

band is fastened 

across the glass, Ife?'^ VHavSe^pf^e^HrK^/ 
and contains a \%yf^^^har^ih^MM^. 
suitable motto. The bow falls grace- 
fully at the side, and has the ends fringed 
and prettily painted or embroidered. 
This ornament is most suitable for dress- 
ing mirror, and may be made to cover an 
unsightly crack or broken corner. Bet- 
ter still for this purpose is a wider scarf 
of some of the soft, thin materials now 
so much in vogue, which can be draped 
more easily and more gracefully. Fig. 107 fig. 106. -mirror 
shows how an old mirror with a marred decoration. 
frame, and perhaps a piece broken out of the corner, can 
still be used and made very artistic. Cover the frame with 




FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



131 



plush, and decorate it with natural cat-tails and grasses. 
A board is covered with plush to match the glass, fas- 
tened up with iron brackets, and trimmed with fringe, or 
^^ spike tassels'^ of the color of the plush covering. For 




iiiliiiiitiiMiM^ 

FIG. 107.— AN OLD LOOKING-GLASS MADE NEW. 

an occupied bedroom, the shelf would of course be used 
to hold brushes, combs, and other toilet articles instead 
of bric-a-brac. 



ORNAMENTAL TOWEL-RACKS. 

The towel-rack shown in Fig. 108 is made of black 
walnut, the outer frame being either made of four pieces 
framed together, or in one piece with a rectangular 
opening sawed out of the middle. The arms which 
support the straight rod are fast^^ned on by small 



132 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



butts, SO as to fold up when not in use. To fix it up as 
shown in the engraving, a thin board is fitted into the 
opening in the back. Two pieces of stiff pasteboard are 
cut each one third as long as the board, and a little less 
than its width. They are covered with plush or felt, 
with straps of the same fastened on to hold brushes 
and combs. These are then tacked to the board, with a 
piece of looking-glass plate occupying the space between 




FIG. 108. — ORNAMENTAL TOWEL-KACK. 



them. The board, thus covered, is fastened securely into 
the frame. A simpler and very neat way is to cover the 
entire board with canvas or other suitable material, with 
a monogram in the middle surrounded by ornamental 
designs, all embroidered or painted on. 

Another very cheap and convenient towel-rack con- 
sists of a round or oval board, decorated to form a plaque 
gi panel, In the centre are bored three or four holes 



FITTIN^G UP BEDROOMS. 



183 



at different angles to receive round rods, half an inch in 
diameter and eighteen inches long, upon which the towels 
may be hung. 



SCREENS OR SPLASHERS. 



A screen behind the washstand to protect the wall 
from spattering drops of w^ater, not only promotes tidi- 
ness but can be made very ornamental. Fig. 109 shows a 




FIG. 109.— EMBROIDERED SPLASHER. 



design for one made of white crash. The material must 
be cut with the selvedge at the top and bottom. The 
raw edges at each end must be hemmed. Trace the 
design lightly with lead-pencil, and work it in outline 
stitch with fine cotton. Scarlet is prettiest, and retains 
the color better when washed. Follow the outline care- 
fully that the design may not be lost in working. 
Another kind is made of linen, the design drawn on 
the cloth with indelible ink. In this case the design 
is not to be embroidered, as the color of the ink is per- 



134 



OUR homes: how to beautify them. 



manent. Outline pictures of various designs may be 
used; flowers, birds, or a combination of both. The 
Kate Greenaway pictures are favorites, as the quaint lit- 
tle figures can be very prettily arranged in a beautiful 
framcAVork of flowers. 

The splasher shown in Fig. 110 can be made of plain 
cream -colored linen or of momie cloth. It is twenty-two 
by thirty-three inches, is fringed out at the bottom and 
has two rows of drawn- work above. The cross-threads 
are caught together with blue working-cotton. 'J'he 
spaces between are filled with fancy stitches, worked 




FIG. llO. — MOMIE-CLOTH SPLASHEB. 



with the blue. An appropriate design is stamped on the 
upper part, which is also worked with the blue cotton. 
A narrow linen hem finishes the top, which is turned 
under so as not to be in sight, and small brass rings are 
sewed on the corners by which to fasten it on the wall, 
using a couple of tacks. Bows of a bright shade of blue 
ribbon are placed over the tacks at each corner, to hide 
the fastenings. 

A round splasher, shown in Fig. Ill, is made over a 
hoop, the diameter of which should correspond to the 
width of the wash-stand. Cover the hoop as smoothly 
and tightly as possible with some bright-colored cam- 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 135 

bric or silesia, and make an outside covering of plain 
or cotton swiss, half the width of the hoop, and long 
enough to full on slightly. Gather the opposite edge, 
and after fastening it firmly on the outside of the hoop, 
draw it down to the centre and finish it with a large 
bow of ribbon of the same color as the lining. The 
edge should be finished with a swiss ruffle, about three 
inches wide, worked in 'Mierring-bone" stitch, with 




FIG. 111. — A ROUND WASH-STAND SCREEN. 

worsted. Make a loop on the back by which to hang it 
up, and suspend it so that only three quarters of the 
screen can be seen. 

FAKCY TOILET SET. 

The set shown in Fig. 112 is made of blue and white 
plaid linen towelling ; it is also very pretty when made 
as here illustrated. It requires two yards of the mate- 
rial for a bureau of ordinary size. First cut a cover to 
fit the old cushion ; then do the same for the two mats. 



136 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



and use what remains for the scarf. A spool and a 
lead pencil can be used to mark the circles ; make one 
at every point where the blue lines cross ; these are 
worked, in outline stitch, with blue working-cotton. 
Take care that the line of the circle is not any wider 
than the woven line. The ends of the scarf are fringed 
out with little tassels made of the blue cotton fastened 
in it. The sides of the cover for the cushion and mats 




FIG. 112. — NEAT TOILET SET. 

are treated in the same manner. A bow of satin ribbon 
is fastened on one corner of the cushion. The red plaid 
linen makes a more showy set, but not so pretty. 



WALL-BAGS AJTD POCKETS. 

Fig. 113 shows a design for a series of bags to be hung 
on the inside of a closet door, or in some other conven- 
ient place, where dust-cloths, whisk-brooms, etc., can 
be easily found. Any suitable material can be used to 
make the pockets, but cretonne or calico is preferred, 
as they shed the dust. Take a piece of goods, double 
for the back, measuring thirty inches by seventeen. 
The piece which forms the pockets should be forty-two 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



137 



inches by eleven. This is bound with brown braid, 
and has a row of feather-stitching in brown. 




li-in^^ij^jnjyw^ 



,i , U,^ .l ,m M g, , „ ,Jg .j^. | y^^ | J^ ^ 










FIG. 113.— CONVENIENT WALL-POCKETS. 

A larger article, with pockets below to hold shoes and 
slippers, is shown in Fig. 114. It is also made of cre- 







FIG. 114. — A SHOE-CASE. 



tonne, the back being twenty-four inches long and 
seventeen wide, made double or lined. The piece of 



138 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



which the pockets are formed is thirty-three inches 
long, and ten inches wide, also made double. Stitch 
two pieces four and a half inches 
from the outside edge, which make 
a place for the pasteboard. Cut 
the pasteboard eight by ten inches, 
and slip it in place ; plait the 
spaces which are left at each side 
to fit the back, and baste on the 
pockets. The flaps are made the 
width of the back, and seven and 
a half inches deep. Bind them 
with braid and baste in place ; after- 
wards bind it all round with braid, 
and sew pieces on each pocket by 
which to tie it up. 
The bag for soiled linen (Fig. 
115), is made of two straight pieces sewed together all 
round, stitching it twice across the top. Cut a slit in 




FIG. 115 — A CLOTHES 
BAG. 




FIG. 116.— BAG FOR SOILED HANDKERCHIEFS. 

the front, and bind it with braid. Hang the bag with 
braid. 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



139 



A common straw bat, '^'caught up^^ and fastened in 
four places^ is used for the bottom of the bag shown in 




FIG. 117. — ^WASTE BOX. 



Fig. 116. Paint some vine or flower on the rim. The 
top is made of a straight piece of silk. Sew it in the 
crown of the hat and draw it too^ether with a shoe- 



140 OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 

string. Four pieces of narrow ribbon, fastened at 
equal distances in the crown of the hat, and brought to- 
gether at the top with a bow, are used to hang up the 
bag. 

The materials required to make the little receptacle 
for holding burned matches, and other wastes, shown 
in Fig. 117, are two yards of satin ribbon three inches 
wide and of any color ; a piece of cardboard ; a spool 
of sewing-silk, and a small silk or chenille tassel match- 
ing the ribbon in color. From the cardboard cut four 
strips, four inches in length, and two in width. Sew 
these pieces together in the shape of a box, and fit a 
bottom to it of cardboard. The box is now ready for 
trimming, which is done in the following manner : Cut 
four strips of the satin ribbon, seven inches in length, 
overhand the edges together with sewing-silk on the 
wrong side, then turn it out, and fit it over the box, 
gathering it to a point at the bottom, and draw it to 
fit closely around the top. One of the seams should be 
placed at each corner. For the handle use a strip of 
ribbon a quarter or three eighths of a yard in length, 
cut the selvedge from both sides, and fringe them about 
half an inch deep. Then fasten securely to each side of 
the box. Place on the top of the handle a full satin bow 
with fringed ends. At the bottom, where the bag is 
gathered to a point, the tassel is to be securely fastened. 
A full ruche of ribbon finishes the edge around the top 
of the box, the ribbon first having been fringed out 
about a quarter of an inch deep on each edge, as the 
handle has been done. It can be made still prettier by 
painting a graceful design of flowers on each of the 
strips of ribbon for the bag, before sewing them to- 
gether, also a spray on the handle. Another very odd 
way is to use two materials of different coloring, — for 
example, crimson plush, and gold-colored satin, alternate 
strips of each. Gay floAvers may be painted or embroi- 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



141 



dered on the satin, such as poppies or carnations. 
Should blue satin and gold plush be used, daisies are 
very pretty for the decoration. 



CASES FOR SHAVIKG-PAPERS. 

The unique little shaving-paper holder, as shown in 
Fig. 118, is made of rough and ragged edged paper, such 




FIG. 118.— SHAVING-PAPER CASE. 



as is used for water-color paintings. Cut two pieces for 
the front and back, making the back a trifle smaller j 



142 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



pierce two holes in the top corners of the pieces, and 
corresponding ones in the tissue-paper which is to be 
placed between the front and back ; run a silk cord 
through all by which to hang it. Pansies, painted in 
bold colors, with a monogram and the lettering in gilt, 
form the decoration for the front of the case. 

The cover for shaving-paper shown in Fig. 119 is 

made of a bevelled-edged 
card, in the form of a pal- 
ette, with the photo of 
the giver mounted on it. 
The picture, having been 





FIG. 119.— PALETTE SHAVING- 
PAPER CASE. 



FIG. 



120.— CHAMOIS SKIN 

CASE. 



previously soaked from its card, is to be mounted on 
the cover. If the maker does not care to use her like- 
ness for this purpose, the case may be decorated with 
flowers in water colors. 

The design shown in Fig. 120, is made out of chamois 
skin ; several thicknesses are cut in the shape of a pal- 
ette, pinked around the edges, and tied together with 
violet satin ribbon. The outside piece has a group of 
violets painted on it. The painting is very effective on 
the chamois skin. 



FITTIN-G UP BEDROOMS. 



143 



HAN^DKERCHIEF SOFA-PILLOW. 

The sofa-pillow shown in Fig. 121 is made of a hand- 
kerchief and IS very pretty, 
with silk pompons on each cor- 
ner to match the principal color 
of the handkerchief. A work- 
bag is also made of a handker- 
chief. Turn down the four 
corners, leaving a space of a few 
inches between them. Make a 
hem in them about half an inch _ 
wide, and run a narrow ribbon fio. 121.— sofa-pillow. 
through it to draw it together. Turn the corners, and 
trim around the top with white lace. 

CLOSETS A2^D WARDROBES. 

Every bedroom should be supplied with a closet If 
this has been omitted in building the house, the lack can 





FIG. 122.— A HOME-MADE WARDROBE. 

j!fi~"*'''y ^"PP"«^ by a wardrobe, either portable 
or fixed m one corner. Fig. 13? .hows a wardrobe made 



144 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



of a box, with hooks inserted in the back of it, also in 
the door, which is made of the cover of the box, fastened 
with common door-hinges. Attached to one side of the 
box is an arm, which swings out into the room. Hooks 
are fastened into the lower side of this arm. Such a 
closet is very convenient for hanging up dresses, wraps, 
and other articles of wearing apparel, which are injured 
by being folded when put into trunks or upon shelves. 
The arm gives a chance to get at whatever hangs on the 
hooks at the back of the box without removing the arti- 
cles on it. When the door is swung open, and the arm 
is swung out, it is an easy matter to get at everything in 
wardrobe without removing any articles. Such an ar- 
rangement affords a place for a 
great many pieces of clothing in 
the smallest possible space, and it 
can be made quite ornamental by 
painting it, or covering it with 
paper, and putting a scarf over 
the top, and letting it hang down 
the side. The top makes a con- 
venient shelf. 

Fig. 123 shows a cheaply-made 
corner closet. A triangular board 
is fastened in the corner at the 
proper height, and a curtain 
made of cretonne, or dark canton 
flannel, hung from it on a piece 
of stout wire and brass rings. A 
number of hooks are placed on 
each side of the closet, and a nar- 
row band across the bottom, to keep the rubbers in. A 
pocket is made for the umbrellas, canes, etc., and tacked 
in the corner. An old straw hat, gilded or painted, is 
placed on the top, filled with grasses and cat-tails. 
In ^ bedroom which has no closet, a serviceable ward^ 




FIG. 123.— A CORNER 
CLOSET. 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



145 



robe can easily and cheaply be made, as shown in Fig. 
124. It extends across one end of the room. Take 
two boards one foot wide, sawed off in seven-feet lengths. 
A foot from the upper end of each length nail cleats 
across. These boards are then to be placed against 
the side walls, at the end of the room. A board is cut 
exactly as long as the room is wide, and this is placed 
on the top of the upright boards. Another piece is 
cut, as long as the top board, less the thickness of the 
two upright pieces. This fits in between the uprights. 




FIG. 124. — HOME-MADE CLOSET. 

and rests on the cleats, and, fitting snugly, it keeps 

the end pieces pressed against the wall ; therefore no 

nails or screws are needed to hold the arrangement in 

place. One has, by this plan, a shelf at the top on 

which to keep the boxes and articles which cannot be 

hung up. Into the bottom of this shelf screw hooks 

on which garments are hung. In this way is avoided 

damaging the walls by driving in nails or putting on 

hooks. Then make a curtain Avhich is tacked to the 

front of the top board, weight the bottom of it, so it 
10 



146 



OUK H03IES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



will hang in its proper place always, and is not blowing 
about to admit dust. The curtain might be hung on 
a pole, but it is better to fasten it with tacks, because 
this plan of arranging it makes everything snug and 
dust-tight. It should be full enough to hang gracefully. 

A PICTUKESQUE BEDROOM. 

Fig. 125 shows a bedroom fitted up with home-made 
furniture and decorations upholstered with cretonne. 
The pattern here used has a bright ground, which is 




Fia. 135. — n eoom: ftjknished in cretonne.' 



nearly covered with leaves and pink rosebuds. After 
the walls are kalsomined, which should be of a delicate 
shade of pink, paste on, as shown, a wide wall-paper 
border. This adds greatly to the appearance of a plain 
wall. The lounge is made of a box, six feet long, 
twenty-three inches wide, and fifteen inches high. 
Qleats are placed on the inside of the box to hold the 



FITTIJ^G UP BEDROOMS. 14'}' 

lid. A caster should be fastened under each corner, 
after which the box is ready to cover. Tack on the 
plaiting for the bottom just over the top, so that the 
cushion will cover the edge. For the cushion, cut two 
strong pieces of muslin or partly worn ticking the size 
of the top of the box, and a piece four inches deep, to 
be sewed between the top and the bottom of the cushion. 
One side should be left unsewed until the stuffing has 
been placed in. For the latter, fine straw or worn-out 
comfortables can be used. Cut a piece of the cretonne 
the size of the top of the cushion, and make a strip six 
inches deep, and long enough to go once and a half 
round the cushion, gather this strip, and sew one side 
to the piece for the top ; draw it over the cushion, and 
run the other edge of the puff to the under-side. The 
pillows can be of any size, but the larger they are, the 
better. The frame for the little table is a couple of 
barrel-heads and a small pole thirty inches high. Tack 
on the cretonne loosely enough to allow it to come to- 
gether in the middle, after which it is drawn down, 
tied, and finished with a large bow of pink ribbon or a 
band of the same material. Make a narrow plaiting of 
cretonne and tack around the top of the table. The 
lambrequin for the window is a straight piece, finished 
at the bottom with a deep hem and sewed on the cur- 
tain rings. The umbrella-case is not merely orna- 
mental— tlie pockets are made of the cretonne doubled 
or Imed with some heavy muslin, the back being covered 
with pasteboard. Hang it on the wall with small brass 
rings, sewed at the top, corners, and bottom ; tack a 
small bow of pink ribbon at each corner of the case. 

The corner wash-stand is made of a triangular board, 
rounded on the outer edge, and supported by three 
stout legs. Tack the cretonne on the top as seen in the 
design, leaving it loose at the bottom, so that shoes and • 



148 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



other articles can be placed behind it. Cover the tojo 
with marbled oil-cloth, and make a screen of dotted 
Swiss over pink cambric, to tack back of the wash-bowl. 
The little corner closet^ which is so convenient for bot- 
tles and wash-stand necessities, is made of two ebonized 
pieces of wood. The curtain is hung with small brass 
rings on a nail which is fastened at each corner. The 
book-shelf is constructed in the same manner. The 
frames for the panel pictures are ebonized pine, or they 
can be gilded if preferred. The diamond-shaped frame 
is also made of pine, covered with garnet velveteen. It 
makes a very pretty frame, and when it is hung up 
high it cannot be easily distinguished from a velvet one. 



SLIPPER-CASES. 

Tasteful articles for the reception of slippers are 
useful and may be made very ornamental. Fig. 126 shows 
a case make in the form of a butterfly. For the founda- 
tion, have a board sawed out 
in the shape of the butter- 
fly seen in the engraving. 
Cover the board with silesia 
on both sides. Cut two pock- 
ets out of pasteboard, cover 
them with silesia, and tack 
them on the back. Cut a 
butterfly out of ^'wigan'' 
large enough to fit over the 
pockets, and on it make the 
butterfly. Use bright pieces 
of velvet, satin, or cloth, ac- 
HG. 126.-A BUTTEKFLY SLIP- cordiug to tastc ; join them 
PER CASE. with bright-colored silks, and 

line with some plain color. Place a row of stitching on 




FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



149 



each side of the body of the butterfly, and stuff it with 
cotton ; then sew up the head, and fasten it on the pock- 
ets. Screw-eyes are fastened in the board to hang it 

To make the case shown in Fig. 127, shape two pieces 
of heavy cardboard as in the engraving, one for the 
foundation being of the size required to hokl the slippers, 
the other for the pocket, being a trifle more than half 
the length, and three inches wider than the first piece. 




FIG. 127.— SLTPPER-CASE. 

The foundation is covered with felt, the part extending 
above the pocket being divided diagonally, and covered 
with contrasting colors. One half has a'^design in em- 
broidery, painting, or etching in outline stitch, and the 
other is puffed. The pocket is similarly decorated, and 



150 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



is bordered with a puffing one inch and a half wide. 

Sew the pocket firmly to the back-board^ and allow the 

puffing to extend over the edge. Line the case neatly 

with Silesia. 

Fig. 128 shoAvs some 
thing entirely new in the 
way of a slipper -case, 
which is very odd and 
pretty. It is made of a 
strip of light leather, 
thirty - one by eleven 
inches. The kind re- 
quired can be found at 
a shoemaker's or a 
harness - maker's store. 
Have the shoemaker put 
eyelets in each side of the 
leather, to within eight 
inches of the top. Lace 
up the sides with nar- 
row yellow satin ribbon, 
with a bow at the top. 
A cluster of yellow flow- 
ers is painted on the 
front of the pocket and 




■BTGr. 128. — SLTPPEB-CASE. 



upon the top part, and eyelets are inserted in the upper 
corner, by which to hang it up. 

A very pretty penwiper is cut in the form of fans, the 
outside being decorated with embroidery in bright colors. 



SMOKERS ARTICLES. 

A bedroom occupied by a single gentleman who 
smokes may very appropriately be furnished with con- 
veniences for the indulgence in that solace. The tobacco 



FITTING UP BEDROOMS. 



151 



box shown in Fig. 129 is made 
its rough state, just as it is 
after the outer fibrous liusk 
is removed. Having selected 
a nicely - shaped cocoa-nut, 
saw off the top, as seen in 
the engraving, remove the 
^^meat" from the interior, 
and allow the shell to dry. 
For a base, the third of an- 
other shell will be needed. 
This should be sawed in some 
fanciful pattern, like that 
shown in the engraving, to ~~' 
serve as feet, and the top of fig. 129 
this portion should be cut 
away to allow the shell to rest on, and it should be glued 
in place. A couple of large pipes are to be fastened to 




COCOA-NUT TOBACCO 
BOX. 




FIG. 130. — PIPE MATCH-HOLDER. 



the shell, the one to hold matches, and the other for 
burned matches. The pipes or the box may be orna- 



152 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

mented, if desired, by the liquid gilding now sold for 
fancy work, or otherwise. 

Two ordinary clay pipes, gilded, decorated, tied to- 
gether with ribbon, as shown in Fig. 130, and fastened on 
the wall make ornamental match-holders. 

VALUE OF HOME MADE DECORATIONS. 

There are thousands of ladies with refined tastes, who, 
if they have an extra five dollars, would much rather 
spend it for home decoration than on dress for them- 
selves. It is possible with limited income to make a 
very modest home more attractive than a much richer 
one, and its influence on the family, especially upon 
children, cannot be estimated. Such a home does more 
to form the character for good, than the teachings or 
discipline of parents. A home where the furnishing of 
each room has been thought out and perhaps worked 
out by mother and daughters, has a value to father and 
sons far beyond one committed to some stranger to 
^''furnish throughout as stylish as possible," at any cost. 
Its influence does not cease when it is broken up, but 
reaches down through generations in other homes. 



HOW TO MAKE THE KlTCHEif PLEASA2sT. 153 



CHAPTER VIII. 
HOW TO MAKE THE KITCHEN PLEASANT. 

TIDY WOOD-BOXES. 

The kitchen, in wliicli many housewives spend a brge 
portion of each day, should be made as convenient and 
pleasant as possible. One of the indispensable requisites 
for tidiness is a wood-box. 

A very good form is shown in Fig. 131. The legs are 
made of rustic sticks ; the knottier they are, the better ; 




FIG. 131.— FLAT WOOD BOX. 

give them a couple of coats of varnish. The flat box is 
made of a common soap-box, covered with a pretty pat- 
tern of oil-cloth ; a piece with a border is the prettiest ; 
use the border around the sides, as seen in the engrav- 
ing. Finish it on the edges with a narrow gilt mould- 
ing—wall-paper can be used if it is more convenient. 
Fasten the pieces for the legs together firmly, and set 
the box in them. A box of this description will be 



154 OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 

found very convenient to use for other purposes in the 
summer months, when not needed for wood. 

The wood-box shown in Fig. 132 is made of a square 
box, set corner ways in the cross-legs. It can be covered 
with oil- cloth or wall-paper, or colored with black-walnut 
stain, which can be found at any paint store. The lids 
are attached by hinges, which do not show, and a knob 




FIG. 132.— SQUARE WOOD BOX. 

is fastened on the front to lift them by. If the hinges 
are of the kind that are fastened upon the outside, gild 
them. 

POCKET FOR DUST-CLOTHS. 

A kitchen wall-box for dust-cloths and wipers has a 
division in the middle so that the dust-cloth and the 
window and lamp wipers can be kept separate. It 
should be made large enough to accommodate all the 
dusters and wipers in use, and a few others in reserve. 
Pieces for the back, front, bottom, and two sides, of any 
size that may be required, are cut from pasteboard. 
A third piece, the same size and shape as the sides, is 
fastened in the middle of the case, to make the two 



HOW TO MAKE THE KlTCHEN^ PLEASANT. 



155 



compartments. Each piece is covered with light oil- 
cloth and hound around with woollen braid, a simple 
pattern having first been worked along the lower edge of 
the oil-cloth with zephyr, same color as the braid. After 
the case is sewed together, the extra piece is fastened in 
the centre by a few stitches top and bottom. A corner 
of the oil-cloth scolloped along the front and bound 
with braid is sewed to the back. Also three rings or 
loops of braid to hang the case up by are sewn to the 
back. Two pieces of braid on the flap and two on the 
front serve for fastenings. 

ORNAMENTAL RAG-BAG. 



An improvement on the old style of rag-bag is shown 
in Fig. 133. It is made of 
a white towel, with knotted 
fringe. Draw circles on the 
bottom of it, and a little spray 
or design, and embroider them 
in red working-cotton. The 
circles are done in the darn- 
ing-stitch style. Make a 
strong white muslin bag, the 
size of the towel when it is 
folded over, and sew the towel 
on the front of it. Fasten 
rings on the back part of the 
bag, and hang it on a rod. 
The inside of the closet door 
will usually be found a con- 
venient place in which to hang 
the rag-bag. This or a similar 
pattern will also serve to hang 
in bedroom closets for soiled clothes. 




ilMfflHlB 



FIG. 



133.— NEW STYLE RAG- 
BAG. 



156 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



CLOTHES-PIiq^ APEOi^. 

Fig. 134 shows a convenient apron with a receptacle 
for clothes-pins. It is made of gray linen, bound with 
scarlet braid. Two pieces of the braid are stitched to- 
gether for a band to tie around the waist. Bed-ticking 




FIG. 134. — A CLOTHES-PEG APRON. 

or awning material may be used instead of linen. White 
and cream-colored duck make very salable ones for fairs. 
In addition to the lettering shown in the engraving, 
outlines of the pegs may be scattered over the pocket. 

A RECORD CUSHION". 

Any one having washing done out of the house will 
find the use of the laundry cushion illustrated in Fig. 135 
a convenient method of keeping a list of articles. A 



HOW TO MAKE THE KITCHEN PLEASANT. 



157 



full list of tlie articles likely to be in the wash is written 
with indelible ink on a piece of unbleached linen about 
six inches long by ten wide. The name of each article 
is followed by a row of figures from one to ten inclusive. 
The linen is then sewed to a second piece of the same 
size and made into a cushion by stuffing with hair or 
sawdust. A cord, by whicli to hang it up, is fastened 
to the upper corners, and a row of pins is stuck along 
the edge. Tlie number of any article in the wash is 




LAUNDRY RECORD CUSHION. 



recorded by sticking a pin in a corresponding number 
opposite the name of the article. If four table-cloths 
are sent, a pin is stuck in the figure four, and if there 
are twenty-four napkins in the wash, pins stuck in 
figures ten, nine, and five keep a correct count. 

RECEPTACLE EOE SOILED CLOTHES. 



The barrel shown in Fig. 13G is intended to be used as 
a hamper for soiled clothes. A flour-barrel will answer 



158 



OUR HOMES: HOW TG BEAUTIFY THEM. 



the best. Line the barrel on the inside with paper 

muslin. Eeniove the middle 
hoops and gild them^ and also 
those on the top and bottom 
of the barrel. Take a j^iece 
of brown, undressed cambric, 
and put it around the barrel 
in large plaits. Replace the 
hoops that were taken off to 
be gilded, and fasten a bunch 
of natural grasses on the front 
A of the barrel ; or, if they are 
not obtainable, large flowers 
and leaves cut out of cretonne, 

FIG. 136.— A BARREL FOR and pastcd on, Avill answer. 
SOILED CLOTHES. Covcr tlic hcad by plaiting a 

piece of the cambric around its edge, draw to the centre, 

and fasten on a knob to be used to lift out the lid. 

Cover the under-side of the barrel-head or lid with paper 

muslin, to match the lining of the barrel. 




CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 159 



CHAPTER IX. 

CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 

DRESSING THE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. 

The observance of Christmas as a merry holiday has 
now become almost as general in this country as in Eu- 
rope. The Puritan forefathers sternly frowned on what 
they regarded as unseemly levity at Christmas-tide, and 
Thanksgiving very largely supplanted the older holiday 
in the Eastern States. But we have changed all that, 
and now have the two holidays. It takes but a little 
green to give the house a holiday air, if that be well ar- 
ranged. Fortunate are those who have long plants of 
Ivy grown in pots, as they have a capital material at 
hand, and one vastly better than any made-up wreaths. 
A few evergreen trees of small size and neat habit in the 
hall, or on the stair-landings, go a great way towards 
decorating the house. Hemlocks, Junipers, Spruces, etc., 
etc., are often cut and put in place for this purpose. 
But in the warm dry air of the house these soon begin to 
drop, and cause that dread of all neat house-keepers, '^ a 
litter"; hence it is vastly better to use trees with their 
roots instead. If the ground is still open, trees may yet 
be taken up for the purpose. Select from the edge of 
the woods, or from open pastures, small evergreens that 
are well developed, that is, not one-sided, with branches 
reaching to the ground. These may be planted out in 
boxes, or small kegs of earth, taking care not to select 
large ones or the weight of earth will be too great for 
handling. The box or keg may be covered with cloth, 



160 (uUii homes; how to beautify them. 

or even paper of an inconspicuous color. They will hold 
their leaves very much longer than cut trees, and having 
a support at base, they may be put just where they are 
wanted. There are two or more kinds of club-moss 
{Lycopodium) to be found in the woods, especially north- 
ward. These are known also as Ground-Pines and Bou- 
quet Green, and in similar localities the Princess-Pines, 
or Pipsissewas, are also to be met with. All these are ex- 
cellent for making small wreaths — the dealers call them 
" ropings" — as they do not drop, and they hold their 
color well. The running club-mosses have long, slender, 
prostrate stems, that will allow them to be joined di- 
rectly into wreaths, but others require to be bound to a 
cord, and it is better to use a cord for all, as the mate- 




FIG.137. — A LAMBREQUIN OR CORNICE. 

rial may be more evenly distributed, and the whole 
stronger. There are several evergreen ferns; indeed, there 
are few localities where one or more may not be found, 
and these are most useful for decoration. IJjiless living, 
in pots, they must first be pressed before they can be 
made up, otherwise they will curl in drying, and become 
unsightly. The fern-leaves may be pressed in a few days 
by placing between old newspapers, under weights, and 
changing the papers to dry ones daily at first, and then 
every two or three days. When dry they may be made up 
in a variety of decorative forms. Fig. 137 suggests the 
manner of arranging ferns with dried or artificial flowers. 
If intended for the window, it is better to have the 
foundation of thin board, which may be covered with 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIOiq^S. 161 

dark paper or muslin, and the leaves, etc., attached by 
pins and small tacks. If the cornice is to go above a 
picture-frame or mirror, use a piece of colored muslin or 
cambric, made very stiff with starch, and ironed smooth. 
Lay the strip flat on the table, or, better, on the bed, 
and attach the ferns, etc., by means of pins, taking care 
that the pins are concealed as much as possible. Of 
course, those who are so fortunate as to have fresh flow- 
ers can use them in decorating, but bright berries and 




FIG. 138. — AN EVERGREEN WREATH. 



fruits seem more appropriate to the season, and some 
may still be found, unless the birds have been too busy 
among them. Substitutes for berries may be made in 
various ways. Cranberries can be arranged in bunches 
with little trouble. Each berry is strung on a fine wire 
the ends of which are then doubled and twisted together, 
and six or eight of the berries are thus tied into a small 
bunch. The wire must be cut into pieces about five 
niches long, and should be the fine kind used for wiring 



162 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



cut flowers. Peas and beans, softened by boiling, can be 
put on wire in the same manner, and given a scarlet coat 
by dipping in sealing-wax dissolved in alcohol, before 
making into bunches. 

One of the easiest methods of making wreaths is to tie 
small bunches of evergreen to hoops of the desired size. 
These (Fig. 138) may be made out of strips of heavy paste- 




FIG. 139. — MANTEL DECORATIONS. 



board, or barrel-hoops, cut the right length and securely 
tied. Ropings are made by tying small bits of evergreen 
to rope with fine cord. For some places, laths covered 
with evergreen are more useful and more easily managed 
than the limber roping. 

Over the mantel in the parlors, make an inverted V- 
shaped arch (Fig. 139), by joining laths covered thickly 
with evergreen. At the top of the arch place a cluster 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 



163 



cf berries and some green to trail downwards. Instead of 
a wreath over the pictures in the parlor, put vines of 
bitter-sweet, with which evergreen or trailing club-moss 
has been mixed. If bitter-sweet vines cannot be pro- 
cured, use any graceful vine — wild grape-vines and Vir- 
ginia-creeper answer well, — and decorate it with club- 
moss, or evergreen, and berries made as described. 
Beneath small pictures a cluster of green may be tacked, 
and a vine extended from it up over the picture, as shown 
in Fig. 140. 




FIG. 140. — PICTURE DECORATIONS. 



The decorations over the dining-room mantel may be 
quite different. A large bunch of green, mixed with 
wheat, millet, and berries, should be tacked up near the 
ceiling, and vines or ropings of green may hang down 
and be fastened out at each side. 

Banners, with or without mottoes, are great helps in 
decorating, especially for large or public rooms. They 
maybe straight across the bottom, or varied. The smaller 
the room the nicer should be the work upon the banners. 
Large ones may be of common material, and have the 



164 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



edgings and lettering made with leaves or green of some 
other kind stitched on. Those intended for the dwelling 
are most effective if of red or other warm color, and if 
quite small, the edgings are better if made of green rib- 
bon or other green material. The lettering may be cut 
from paper, or, if one is handy at such work, it may be 
put on with water-colors. Large letters are made with 
laths, and covered; octagon letters are easily made. 




FIG. 141. — CHKISTMAS SHIELD AND STAK. 

If the hall is wide and roomy, gs every hall should be, 
it sliould have a full share of the decorations. Large, 
round wreaths may be placed over each picture. A 
group of flags of different sizes, in the most conspicuous 
place on the wall, and laths, well covered with evergreen, 
mixed with bright berries, over the doors. Place a small 
stand beside the door leading into the dining-room; ar- 
range a wreath of box or club-moss around the edge of 
the top, and a vine of bitter-sweet, mixed with evergreen, 
around the standard. 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 165 

A beautiful Christmas device is a scarlet shield, shown 
in Fig. 141, outlined with " Eunning Pine'' (Lycopodium 
or Club-moss), or the dainty Hartford fern, upon which 
is placed a white star in rice-work, and hang it to rep- 
resent the " Star in the East." 



THE CHRISTMAS TREE. 

This beautiful device for Christmas was brought from 
Germany, and is becoming more and more popular every 
year. Thousands of small evergreen trees are brought to 
the large cities and sold for the purpose. Those who 
live in the country can generally cut a suitable tree in 
the woods, or, better still, dig one up for planting out in 
a box, roots and all. In either case the small evergreen 
that is to serve as a Christmas tree is placed in a box and 
firmly fixed by nailing several wooden braces across the 
tub from side to side, close to the trunk of the tree, and 
filling it with sand, stones, or bricks. The top of this 
base is then covered with moss, or bits of evergreen, and 
a piece of bright-colored cloth or paper is wrapped 
around tlie sides of the tub or keg. 

Various kinds of pretty ornaments for Christmas trees 
can be bought at the shops, but very good ones may be 
made at home for a trifle. The decorations mast be 
showy and bright, but need not be as neatly made as if 
they Avere to undergo close inspection. Cranberries and 
popped corn strung on a thread, and looped from branch 
to branch, are quite effective. Chains made out of gold 
and silver paper are used in the same way. Cut a number 
of ovals about two inches long, and remove the centres to 
make rings. Join these into a chain by slipping a narrow 
strip of paper, three inches long, through two rings, and 
glueing the ends together. Join on another ring with 
another strip of paper, and so on. Cut out of card- 
board as many stars, crescents, and '^ butterflies" as will 



166 OUR homer; how to beautify them. 

be needed, and twice that number out of gold and silver 
paper, and paste the latter on each side of the card -board. 
Pass a black thread through a point of the stars and 
crescents, and tie in a loop, by which it is hung on the 
tree. Out of blue, yellow, white, and red tissue-paper 
make tassels by cutting the paper into tiny strips. 
Fasten a bunch of these to the '* butterflies," by passing 
a cord around both. Small candies, for lighting up the 
tree, may be fastened in place, when the regular candle 
holders are not to be had, by bending a small-sized hair- 
pin over the branch, points up, and pressing the candle 
down on the pin. The work of ornamenting the tree 
can be done by the whole family, but the presents should 
be given to a person of decorative taste and skill to hang 
in place on the tree. 

home-made CHRISTMAS CARDS. 

Beautiful Christmas cards can be made at home w^itli 
little work or expense. The foundation is a cream-white 
card about six inches wide and four long. On the right- 
hand side of the card arrange a cluster of golden-rods, 
held in place by a narrow ribbon taken from the back of 
the card over the stems, then back through a second 
hole and tied in a bow on the back. Tlie mottoes are 
painted in one color with a fine-pointed brush. It is 
Avell to practise on the lettering with an extra slip before 
Deginning on the card. The motto may be changed to 
suit the taste of the worker. Golden-rod dries well and 
keeps its color so long that it is one of the best of flowers 
to use for such cards. A sprig of holly is very appro- 
priate. A small sprig of evergreen mixed with red berries 
is pretty. Another pleasing card can be made by using 
pressed ferns and pansies; the latter when pressed Avill 
keep their color well. 

Any person wdio paints can make an attractive card by 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 167 

fringing a piece of silk five inches wide and seven long, 
to the depth of a quarter of an inch. On the silk is 
painted any design and motto that may be selected; after 
which it is fastened to a card a trifle larger by narrow 
ribbons passed through holes in the card and tied in tiny 
bows on the right side. Only two bows in opposite cor- 
ners will be needed to secure the painted silk to the 
card. 

EASTER DECORATIONS. 

Easter is no longer regarded as the exclusive festival 
of one church, but is observed to a greater or less extent 
by nearly all. Christmas is peculiarly the holiday of the 
children, as celebrating the birth of the Christ-child; 
but Easter is the festival of the Christian world. Flow- 
ers are specially appropriate for Easter decorations, as 
the emblems of resurrection, and eggs have for ages 
been used as similar emblems. The cross, which is in- 
appropriate at Christmas, is largely used as an Easter 
emblem, covered with flowers. Fig. 142 shows a cross 
made of mosses, berries, etc., on a wooden frame. The 
frame, made of any kind of wood, no matter how rough, 
is 12 to 14 inches high, and the length of the arms in 
proportion. Gather from the woods a large quantity of 
the soft crinkly moss which clings to rocks in damp 
places, and carefully dry it in the sun for a few hours, 
then scrape off the loose earth. Make a stiff paste of 
flower and water, and spread it over the back of the 
moss, and cover the entire cross. Paste a piece of 
scarlet flannel on the bottom to keep the table from 
being scratched. While collecting the moss, gather also 
other ornamental things, such as the little red cups and 
white cups among the gray lichens and little twigs 
covered with them. The Bitter-sweet is another essen- 
tial ornament. Tiny autumn leaves and small ferns 
can be pressed and made of great service. When the 



168 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 




FIG. 142.— EASTER CROSS OF MOSSES AND FERNS. 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 169 

moss covering is dry, the cross is ready for decorating. 
Beginning at the base, make a mound all around it of 
the little red and white cups; stand among these the 
little moss-covered twigs, also ferns, and a delicate 
variety of dried grasses. The body of the cross may be 
arranged according to taste, adding the different kinds 
of mosses and lichens, which grow on rocks in various 
shapes and colors. A small vine that nature has gayly 
colored may be pressed, and gracefully twined across 
the front. Add the Bitter-sweet berries to help give 
brilliance, A few natural flowers, or artificial ones of 
paper or wax, add greatly to its beauty. When the 
decorating is finished, drape in a light, graceful manner 
with hanging masses of light moss. 

DECORATED EASTER EGGS. 

Eggs in one form or another are the universal tokens 
of Easter. The exchange of eggs between friends is a 
very ancient custom, dating back almost to the flood, 
for it is a symbol of the Ark, as well as of the resurrec- 
tion, which is the reason that we present them at Easter. 
It is moreover a very universal custom prevailing among 
different nations and religions. The Jews placed eggs 
on their Passover tables, the Druids used them in their 
ceremonies, ;md the Persians frequently give them as 
New Yearns gifts. In Russia friends exchange greetings 
on Easter morning with " Christ is risen," and offer an 
Easter Qgg, — and stranger still, in the far East, the 
Mohammedans do the same. At city confectioners, 
fancy sugar eggs — some of them of enormous size, and 
containing panoramas of landscapes and figures, or else 
filled with bon-bons, — may be had at all prices; but 
appropriate home-made ones are worth twice as much. 
Various styles of decoration are shown in Fig. 143. To 
dye eggs, onion skins put in the water in which they 



170 



OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



are boiled will make them a bright yellow; or, if left 
longer in the solution, a rich brown. Logwood, or 
violet ink, gives a royal purple; cochineal, pink and 
crimson; and many pieces of chintz, or bright ribbon 




FIG. 143. — A GROUP OP EASTER EGGS. 



that fade easily, if sewed tightly round the eggs, will 
color them nicely in figures, stripes, or dots. Another 
way is to dip the egg into hot water, and then write a 
name or motto on the shell with tallow. It is then 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 



171 



boiled in the solution of dye-wood, when the inscription 
will appear in white, upon a colored ground. Those 
who are skilful with pencil and paint-brush can present 
their friends with really exquisite souvenirs, by orna- 
menting eggs with flowers and butterflies, or appropriate 
texts of scripture. For these painted eggs, it is better 
to puncture a tiny hole with a pin in each side, and blow 
out the inside, leaving a clear shell, than to boil them; 
and the apertures can be concealed by stars of silver or 
gilt paper. 





FIG. 144. 



FIG. 145. 



Eggs can also be beautifully colored with the dye 
which comes in ten-cent packages, and with a sharp 
penknife any design, flower, or name can be scratched 
on them. Bright-colored calicoes cut in designs and 
pasted on, and a piece of thin muslin placed around 
the eggs to protect them, make very curious and pretty 
Easter eggs. Several of these bright-colored eggs placed 
in a small rustic basket (Fig. 144) are very pleasing. The 
baskets can be made at home or purchased for fifty or 
sixty cents at a basket store. The Daisy Egg (Fig. 145) 



172 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



has an opening in the side and can be filled with fresh 
or artificial flowers. It can be gilded or painted a light 
blue, and is suspended by a thread through the top. 




FIG. 146. — EGG-SHELL FLOWER-HOLDER. 




Egg-shells balanced on a rustic stick (Fig. 146), for 
holding flowers, are very pretty. Cover a thin board 

with plush, fasten a stick 
in it and another across it 
upon which to hang the 
shells. Glue pieces of strong 
thread around the shells, gild 
them, and fill with bright 
artificial fiowers. The shell 
set in the pond-lily, in Fig. 
147, is intended to hold fresh 
the same manner as in the 
other and glue an artificial pond-lily on one end; wire 
the inner leaves so that they will hold the shell, and can 
be taken out and refilled. 

The pitcher shown in Fig. 148 is made out of an egg- 
shell; first, draw the shape of the top of the pitcher on 
the shell, and break the shell away as near the line 
as possible, breaking a very little bit at a time. After 
the shell has been rinsed out and dried, glue a narrow 



FIG. 147. — POND-LTLY FLOWEK 
HOLDER. 

flowers. Cover a board 



m 



CHRISTMAS AN^D EASTER DECORATIONS. 



173 




FIG. 148.— EGG-SHELL 
PITCHER. 



band of white paper over the rough edges. Paint the 

shell on the outside Avith water- 
colors, either a light blue or 

bright red. The handle is made 

of a strip of paper painted black; 

one end is glued on the inside 

of the shelf, and the other on the 

outside. A piece, a little wider 

than the handle, is glued together 

for the shell to set in; this is cut 

out on the bottom to form four 

feet; glue the shell in this. The 

little figures are glued on the sides. 

A name or flower can be used 

instead. 

The little bag. Fig. 149, is made of half a shell. Paint 
it purple on the outside; "''An 
Easter Greeting ^^ is painted on it 
in violet color. Four pieces of 
narrow violet-colored ribbon are 
glued at equal distances around 
the inside of the top. A little bag 
is made of violet silk, and glued in 
the top of the shell. A band of 
fancy paper, cut in points on the 
bottom, with a tiny silk tassel 
fastened on each point, is glued 
around the top. The shell is filled 
wdtli cotton, that has violet sachet 
powder sprinkled through it. This 
makes a very dainty little present 
to srive mamma to hana: beside her 

FIG. 149.— AN EASTER ^ . ^ 

GREETING. dressmg-taolc. feuch little Faster 

souvenirs are more cherished ihan the costly gifts which 
are sold in the stores. 




174 OUR homes; hoav to beautify them. 



AK EGG KEY-RACK. 

A rather ingenious Easter decoration^ which will also 
be useful thereafter, is an egg- 
shaped contrivance for hanging 
keys, button-hooksj etc., repre- 
sented in Fig. 150. It is made 
of a cocoa-nut from which the 
milk is first extracted, and when 
thoroughly dry, the shell is given 
two coats of varnish and covered 
with bronze-powder or gold-paint 
Six small brass hooKs are screwed 
into the shell, as shown in the en- 
graving, bright ribbon tied into 
FIG. 150.— KEY-RACK, bows with loopc and ends, with a 
loop of the same ribbon to hang it by. 




AIT EASTER CALE:N"DAR. 

A very neat little device for an Easter ornament is the 
banner calendar shown in Fig. 151. It 
is made of dark -red satin, with a band 
of plush across the bottom, of the same 
color. It is lined with silesia, and pro- 
vided with a stiff interlining. Snow- 
drops, crocuses, or some other sprmg 
flowers are painted on in water-colors, 
and the calendar attached. The latter 
is in the form of a pad with a leaf for 
each day in the year. Such pads may 
be bought of stationers or detached 
from advertising calendars whijh are 
given away. The banner is securely 
fastened to the rod, and hung by a silk 
cord. The gilded clothes-pms are only 
for ornaments. 




PIG. 151. 



CHRISTMAS AND EASTER DECORATIONS. 



175 



HOME-MADE VALENTINES. 

The 14th of February is pleasantly observed by the 
young people as St. Valentine's Day. The shocking 
abuse of the day by sending hideous colored caricatures 
through the mails has tended to bring its observance into 
disrepute. But there are great varieties of beautiful and 
artistic valentines for sale in the shops, and many others 
equally as beautiful, and really more acceptable, may be 
made at home. A design for a watch-pocket is shown 
in Fig. 152. It is made of half a yard of satin ribbon- 




FIG. 152.— VALENTINE WATCH-POCKET. 

three inches wide. Fold the ribbon in a point, as in the 
engraving, and join the two parts on the back up to where 
it is tied with the narrow ribbon. One of the ends is cut 
in points, and the other is fringed out. ^^St Valentine's 
Day," and the hearts, pierced with flying arrows, are 
painted on. If a sachet is preferred in place of the 
watch-pocket, place several thicknesses of cotton, spriti- 



176 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



kled with sachet powder, in the pocket, and sew it 
together across the top. Light pink, bhie, and green 
are the prettiest colors for the pocket or sachet. 

The little case in the form of a heart, shown in Fig. 
153, is made of some light wood, and is to be used to 
keep letters in. Saw two neatly shaped hearts out of 
thin wood ; cover them with gold paint ; draw or trans- 
fer something on the outside of one, that will make a 
good '^'silhouette \" paint the picture solid black or use 
instead a scrap picture, such as Bleeding Hearts, or 
Forget-me-nots. In either case, give the heart a coat of 




FIG. 153. — LETTEK CASE. 

varnish, both on the outside and inside. Bore a couple 
of holes in the top of each heart, and join them with a 
piece of silk pleated like a fan, and glued on the inside 
of the hearts. Draw the ribbon through the holes from 
the back to hang it up by, and attach bows of the same 
on the front, and also one at the top. 



HINTS rOR DECORATIVE WORK. 17V 



CHAPTER X. 
HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 

FANCY WORK FOR LADIES. 

Tasteful work with the needle, the brush, the scroll- 
saw, or any other means, brings, a double reward. It 
furnishes delightful occupation, refines and cultivates the 
taste; and when completed its results help to beautify the 
house or furnish welcome gifts for friends. Fancy work, 
to be worth doing, requires some degree of artistic taste 
and skill. Mere elaborateness is not worth striving for. 
A bed-quilt which has no other claim to attention than 
the extraordinarily large number of pieces of which it is 
composed is not worth the labor expended upon it. If 
one has no special talent for painting or embroidery, but 
desires to have such things about her, Decalcomanie 
furnishes many choice designs. Mineral Decalcomanie 
is used for such articles as require washing. It is a 
beautiful decoration for silk or satin toilet sets. Great 
care is needed in applying them not to break the designs, 
otherwise, no skill is required. Sheets of designs with 
directions for using are easily obtained. A novelty in 
decoration is to paint the solid parts of leaves and 
flowers, and to furnish the high lights with embroidery 
silk. This is said to be very effective. Still another is 
^f Lustra Painting. ^^ Metallic paints of great lustre are 
used, subdued, when necessary, by dull colors. The ef- 
fect at a little distance is that of rich embroidery in silk. 
The genuine Lustra colors are packed in boxes of thirty 
bottles of colors and two of medium. Directions for 
use may be obtained for those who cannot avail them- 
13 



178 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

selves of lessons. For large articles, snch as piano and 
table covers, lambrequins, etc., ribbon embroidery is very 
popular, and when neatly and carefully done it is very 
handsome. A mantel lambrequin of plush, with sprays 
of blush and tea roses thrown carelessly on the corners, 
the leaves worked in shades of olive-green with arrasene 
a kind of fine chenille, is very rich. Large flowers are 
mostly used, but small ones are as pretty. For roses 
the width of the ribbon should be from one inch to one 
and a quarter; for small flowers, such as violets, daisies, 
and forget-me-nots, very narrow ribbon is used. Two or 
three shades of ribbon are needed for roses. After the 
pattern is traced upon the cloth, commence with the 
darkest shade of ribbon, cut into short lengths. Out a 
slit in the outside edge of a petal — plait one end of the 
ribbon and draw it through. Cut another slit in the 
centre of the rose, draw the other end of the ribbon 
through this. Puff the ribbon with the needle into the 
form of the petal and fasten securely underneath. 
Make the stamens of shaded yellow silk with knots. 
Fasten the edges neatly, and pull it into the natural 
shape. 

We give a few suggestions for some of the simpler 
kinds of inexpensive fancy work which can be done in 
any home. 

MAKIN^G PAPER FLOWERS. 

The material required for making paper flowers, now 
so much used for decorations of various kinds, consists 
of some tinted tissue-paper, a small bunch of stamens, 
some fine wire for the stems, and one or two small sheets 
of dark green wax, such as is used for wax flowers. 

To make a Violet, cut of dark violet tissue-paper four 
pieces of the shape seen at a in Fig 154 ; take two sta- 
mens, b, cut oif one-quarter inch from the top, twist 
around them one end of the fine wire used for the stem. 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



179 



and pinch over it a tiny bit of wax— only enough to 
make the first round of paper adhere to it. Then from 
the other end of the wire slip the petals, a, through the 
centre; the first one close up to the yellow part of the 
stamens ; push the others close against the first, and fin- 




no. 154.— PARTS OF A VIOLET. 



ish the flower with a small calyx, seen at c, made of dark 
green paper, or, better still, of wax. For the stem cut 
a strip of green paper about one-eighth of an inch wide, 
twist around the wire, and, to fasten it, turn up the end 
of the stem a little. 




PIG. 155.— FOLDING THE PAPER FOR SNOWBALL. 



Snowballs are composed of white and palest green, or 
of a very pale pink with green, or of these three shades 



180 



OUR noMEs; how to beautify them. 




combined. For a medium-sized white snowball, cnt of 
white tissue-paper fourteen squares of four inches each 
side ; then fold each piece according to the dotted lines 
seen in Fig. 155, and in the order they are 
lettered, commencing at a. When folded 
it appears as an irregular triangle, as seen 
in Fig. 156 ; cut this even across the top, 
y as indicated by the dotted line a h, then 
round off the top, as shown in dotted line, 
c d. When the papers are opened out, 
they will appear as seen in Fig. 157. Cut 
down along the creases to within half an 
inch of the centre, as shown by the dotted 
circle. Then take each section between 
the first finger and the thumb of your 
right hand, placing the thumb on top of 
the paper on its left half, one-eighth of an 
inch below its curve ; put the thumb of 
your left hand underneath, and the first 
finger on top of its right edge above your right thumb, 
thus bringing the thumbs near together, one above, the 
other underneath; now firmly twist the paper with your 
right hand down towards you, thus turning up its un- 
der-side and forming it into a little cup over your left 
thumb. 

After the fourteen white papers have been curled, cut 
twelve squares, of two and three-eighth inches of the 
light green paper, and proceed with these the same as 
with the white. When all are finished take a piece of 
wire three or four inches long for the stem, twist one 
end of it into a small knot to prevent the paper from 
passing over it ; then slide from the other end, through 
the centre, first one white, then one green paper over it, 
and so on, alternately, until all are used. Press the 
first leaves together by pulling them lightly through 
your hand, thus shaping the fiower. Lastly, cut a cir- 



FIG. 156. 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



181 



cle of dark-green paper about an inch and a half in di- 
ameter, slip it on the wire, and fasten with a little piece 
of wax ; cut a narrow strip of the dark-green paper, not 




FIG. 157. —SHAPE OP PAPERS. 



over one quarter inch wide, twist it tightly arotind the 
wire to cover the stem, and the flower is finished, as in 
Fig. 158. 




FIG. 158.— SNOWrSATJ. FTNT8HED. 



182 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



In making a flower of the three shades, pink has to 
be taken first, then white, then green, requiring in all 
nine white, nine pink, and eight green papers. 

Fig. 159 shows the tissue-paper for a rose, and a fin- 
ished floweT. The paper is folded double, then cut into 
strips two and three-quarter 
inches wide ; cut slits in the 
strips an inch and a half deep, 
two and a half inches apart ; 
open the paper and curl the 
corners with a dull knife. Sev- 
eral strips are thus prepared, 
each one making a rose. The 
stems are of wire cut in three- 
inch lengths, with one end 
bent over like a small hook. 
To form the flower take one of 
the strips in the right hand and 
wind it carefully around the 
first finger of the left ; slip it 
off and tie securely to the hooked end of the wire stem. 
The leaves are made of green paper or of wax- work. 




FIG. 159.— PAPER ROSE. 



MAKII^^G SMYRI^A RUGS. 

A new style of work has just been introduced, like the 
original it represents, which is very handsome and dur- 
able. It is knitted Smyrna rugs. Wool is manufac- 
tured and dyed for this purpose, and the rugs, when 
made, are almost an exact copy of the real article. A 
box containing a sample of the work for a pattern, with 
directions, and wool sufficient to knit a small piece like 
the pattern are sold for one dollar and twenty-five cents. 
Wool sufficient to knit a piece a yard square would cost 
six dollars. A much cheaper, and a very effective and 
durable rug, is made from the ravelings of tapestry car- 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 183 

peting. They are soft and beautiful, and a perfect im- 
itation of Persian carpeting. The carpet from which 
the worsted is drawn has a back of evenly woven linen 
threads. Cut between these threads from selvedge to 
selvedge, carefully draw out the linen threads, and keep 
the worsted ends firm, so that they will not split. It is 
knit in strips — three making a good-sized rug with 
border, and a strong back of crochet cotton ; No. 8 cot- 
ton, and No. 12 needles, make a good back. Oast on 
thirty stitches of cotton and knit three rows — fourth 
row, slip one stitch, knit one, put one of the worsted 
threads (which should be cut in lengths long enough 
for a good thick pile without falling), over the right- 
hand needle, being careful to have it doubled exactly in 
the middle, that the two ends may be even ; knit the 
third stitch, put on another thread of worsted ; repeat 
until the last two stitches, which are knit plain. Fifth 
row ; slip one, knit one, take up the worsted and third 
stitch together, and knit as one. Knit in this way, tak- 
ing up the worsted and cotton together, to the end of the 
row. Alternate these rows, until the strip is as long as 
required, then knit three rows of cotton, and bind off. 
When the strips are done, they are crocheted together, 
and a border of contrasting colors, knit in the same way, 
is added. 

CRAZY WORK. 

It is a common mistake to make crazy stitches too fine; 
they are much prettier and more effective when made 
coarser. The Persian or Oriental embroidery, mingled 
with crazy work for a change, has a very pleasing effect. 
It is made by cutting ancient designs out of different 
colored felts and velvets, and appliqueing them on the 
larger pieces of silks with a quantity of bright-hued silk. 
Any design can be procured from papers or magazines, 
with the aid of tracing paper, and in that way you may 



184 OUR HOMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 

have your pattern free from any expense, and will have 
pleasure in seeking out odd designs. 



SOME FAKCY STITCHES. 



Fig. IGO shows a design for an embroidered edge in 
four different styles of stitches. Scallop the edge with 




FIG 160. — DESIGN FOR EMBROIDERY. 

semi circles, about as large as No. 70 cotton-spool would 

make; you can mark them with a pencil. Then rule. 

very lightly, four straight lines just 

above the scallops at A, B, C, and 

£>. Fig. 161 shows how to make 

the feather-stitch needed for the A 

and D lines. Be careful to bring 

out the point of the needle on the 

pencilline with every stitch. Mark 

the van dyked line (which is to be 

chain-stitched) with the corner of 

a square card. When this line is 

finished, mark the required dot in 

each point. The pattern without 

the scallop may be worked at the to]? of the hem. 

With feather-stitch, chain-stitch, and worked dots, 
make many pretty patterns shown in Figs. 163 and 163. 
A sim23le way to get the pattern of a scallojD is, to draw a 




FIG. 161. 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



185 



circle around the spool at each end of the card (see Fig. 
164), then draw straight lines from one circle to the other 




FIG. 163. — PATTERN FOR EMBROIDERY. 

at the top and bottom. Now move the spool along, let- 
ting it lap a little, and draw a pencil around it. At the 




FIG. 163. — ANOTHER PATTERN. 

end of the card, draw a straight line (as A in Fig. 164) 
near the edge, and cut up to it between the scallops, as 




FIG. lt»4. — HOW TO MAKE A SCALLOP. 

shown by the black portion in Fig. 164. Use Corticelli's 
embroidering silk, letter F. Linen floss (or white single 



186 



OUR homes; how to beautify them. 



zephyr worsted) looks very well, washes better, and is less 
expensive than silk. 

pattern for canvas. 

The pattern shown in Fig. 165 is to be worked in 
eross-stitch on canvas or other similar material with 
zephyer or Germantown yarn. The narrower stripes 
are worked in light blue for the ground, with dark 
brown, light brown and gold color for the pattern. The 





■■ BKo am 

■■ no 3«5i 

i BO-BH5! iB-DC 

_■ — Ba~BSO — ■■-QC 

■■ SQ-BgiS — BB-r- 

-BO-BBa — BB-C 

"~BKO "BBBi^ 

-BBS SBBteEi^iili; — og«;;- 

:;BBQ~::rBBB^B^Bigr;;;gBj;::- 

-B'-BBa--B5SDBB"BBDDBBI-OgBfog::^ 
SO-BXO ■■DBBDCDBBnBB-_0«B Og2^ 

tssa-fEso— aaPB»paDB»aB«i.-:jaa«zaac: 
FIG. 165. — DESIGN FOR WORKING ON CANVAS. 

broad scripes have on dark-brown ground two shades of 
olive, two of red, and two of blue. The white star on 
black ground in the engraving stands for dark red; the 
narrow straight lines in a square for light red; the white 
diamond with black dot, for dark olive ; the white 
square with black dot for light olive; the small white 
square with dot on black ground for dark blue, and the 
black line in white square for light blue. The pattern 
is available for slippers, border for portiere, etc. 



DRAWN WORK FOR DECORATIONS. 

Very pretty eifects are produced by drawn work with 
canvas, towelling, or similar material. Fig. 166 shows 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



187 



a drawn-woi"k border to be made on a coarse, plain 
linen towel, fringed on both ends. Commence one or 
two inches from the ends, and pull ont forty-two threads 




FIG. 166. — BORDER OF TOWEL. 



crosswise; then, to fasten the edges, work on each side a 
row of buttonhole stitches in red, each of which is to be 
made over three threads in height, and four threads in 
width. Leave above and below a space of twenty-two 
threads ; then, on each side, 
facing each other, work an- 
other row of buttonhole stitch- 
es, as seen in Fig. 166, and 
ornament the spaces between 
these with crazy stitches in 
blue. Then take on the 
thread and needle the threads 
between four stitches, and pull 
theni together tightly, as fig. 167.— details. 
shown in the first row of open-work in Fig. 167. Make 
the line at one third of the distance below the edges, 
and at an equal distance work a second row across, tak- 






188 



OUR HOxMES; HOW TO BEAUTIFY THEM. 



ing care that the knots are placed alternately, as seen in 
the engraving. To make the wheels for filling out the 
spaces formed by the drawing together of the threads, 
fasten the thread in the needle under a buttonhole 
stitch, and draw it under the opposite knot above, and 




FIG. 168.— CONGRESS CATTVAS. FIG. 169.— SIMTLAR CANVAS. 

returning form the wdieels by running the needle above 
and under the crossing thread, round and round, until 
the desired size is obtained; then fasten it underneath. 

In Figs. 168 and 169 are seen patterns on Congress 
canvas in which the threads are simply drawn together. 
These have to be worked with embroidery silk, and al- 
though very pretty in one color only, may be made still 
^ — ...^ more handsome and showy if 

I -^t^^^^^L J * iS. I ^ each row is worked a differ- 
^Jk>c:icx> s( %. gj^^ shade, the colors being 
well blended, and here and 
there a row of tinsel cord may 
be interspersed. 
FIG. 170. — CAKE BASKET COVER. A pretty and inexpensive 
cake-basket cover, made in a square, with fringed sides, 
is shown in Fig. 170. 

DESIGI^S FOR SCROLL SAWING. 

A simple method of making designs for scroll work is 
as follows : procure several sheets of thin plain white 




HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



189 



paper of any suitable size, a common pen, ink, pencil, 
rubber, a square and dividers. Determine what article 
to design, and its size. Every part must be supported. 





1 












FIG. 171. — THE BEGINNING. FIG. 172. — THE DESIGN. 

to prevent splitting off. Make as few openings as pos- 
sible, consistent with beauty and fitness for the purpose 
intended. 

An example : To design the back of a comb - case 
twelve inches wide and seventeen inches long, with but 
three openings in the pattern, place a sufficiently large 
sheet of paper on a board or table, its narrow side tow- 
ards you, and draw a line across its middle the longest 
way. Mark on this line two points 
seventeen inches apart. Through 
these points draw two very light 
parallel pencil lines across the paper. 
Three inches above the lowest point 
draw a line across the paper at right 
angles to the first long line. Four 
inches above this draw another line 
parallel to it. Then six inches on 
each side of the long line draw lines 
parallel to it. There will be a space 
twelve inches wide and four inches fig. 173. 
high, the place of the comb-box; the drawing will ap- 




-COMB-CASE. 



190 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

pear like Fig. 171. Now study the whole space^ twelve by 
seventeen inches, to invent the design. All above and 
below the box space (of twelve by four inches) is 
to be made ornamental. With a pencil lightly sketch 
the pattern. It may be composed wholly of curves, or 
of curves and straight lines combined. After making a 
sketch of a suitable design, re-mark half of it (on one 
side of the long middle line), retouching here and there 
to perfect the pattern, erasing all unnecessary lines. 
The drawing will now appear as in Fig. 172. In the half 
pattern finish the lines carefully with pen and ink. Fold 
the paper exactly on the centre line first drawn, so that 
the inked lines will be on the outside. Place the paper 
against a pane of glass through which strong light is 
shining. Press the two folds close together. The ink 
lines of the drawing will show plainly through. Care- 
fully trace with a pencil all the ink lines, and both sides 
of the design will be alike in every detail and part. The 
front of the case will of course be like the back, after 
sawing through; in this instance the ends of the box 
will be three and three-quarters inches long by three 
inches wide. The front is made plain, two and three- 
quarters by twelve inches, the bottom three and a 
quarter by twelve inches. The front may be line-carved 
in any appropriate design, and then the completed comb- 
case will appear as in Fig. 173. The right and left sides 
of all scroll designs may be duplicated in like manner. 

Designs with large openings like this may be pasted on 
medium thick cardboard. Tack the cardboard to the 
wood to be made up. FolloAving the pattern lines, saw 
through cardboard and wood; preserving the card care- 
fully. This card pattern may be used as long as required, 
by marking around it and sawing to the lead -pencil 
lines. Printed patterns may be bought by those who do 
not care to make their own designs. 



HINTS FOR DECOIIATIVE WORK. 



191 



LINE CARVING IN WOOD. 

An improved tool for line carving 
a veining tool or smallest fluting 
gouge. Heat the end red over 
a spirit lamp or in the fire care- 
fully, not to overheat or rust it. 
Bend it under and back like Fig 
with a draw motion. Do not 



from 




FIG. 174. — A TOOL FOR 
LINE CARVING. 

174, so that it will cut 
forget to retemper it. 



Two sizes of this shape, one-eighth and three-sixteenth 
inches wide, with a straight one-quarter inch fluting 
gouge and a three-eight inch flat sweep gouge, are all the 
tools necessary for quite elaborate patterns. A boy can 
learn to carve ornamental lines in a few minutes with this 
tool, without danger of running away from the pattern. 




FIG. 175. — A DESIGN FOR LINE CARVING. 



Suppose it is required to line carve a design like Fig. 
175 for the front of a wall-pocket. Witli pencil and 
ruler mark the centre of the piece to be ornamented, and 
other guide-lines if necessary. Sketch the pattern with 
pencil lines on the surface. Fasten the piece to be 
carved so that it can easily be turned about if desired. 



192 OUR homes; how to beautify them:. 

Carve the principal lines of tlie pattern^ after which the 
details can be cut with the tool best adapted to the de- 
sign. Full-sized designs on paper can be easily trans- 
ferred to the wood by pricking through the paper with 
a needle. Line carving, as a means of decorating sur- 
faces, offers an infinite variety of designs, and is easily 
learned. Artistic designs suitable for the purpose have 
long been used by the book-binders and ornamental 
painters. A little study of any figure will enable the 
carver to reproduce it off-hand at will. Then with 
chisel in hand, beautiful decorations can be produced in 
a few minutes, when the surface of the w^ood is of a 
color to strongly contrast with the lines cut through 
it. When the surface is the same as the under part, as 
in solid walnut, the lines may be gilded or painted. 

EMBROIDERED MONOGRAMS. 

There is no more durable and neater way of marking 
table linen, towels, etc., than by embroidering the ini- 







FIG. 176. — EMBROIDERED MONOGRAMS. 



tials of one's name in a corner of each piece. The let- 
ters shown in Fig. 176 are worked in cross-stitch with 
crewels or embroidery cotton, either in two shades of 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 



193 



one color, or in two entirely different colors, as may be 
preferred, over ordinary canvas, which, for this purpose, 
is basted on the article. The stitches have to be drawn 
perfectly tight, but care has to be taken that the threads 
of the canvas are not caught fast, as in drawing them 
out after the monogram is completed the work would 
be pulled and the letters become misshaped. 



LAVA WORK OR VESUVIUM. 

Transforming earthenware and similar plain articles 
into something beautiful by 
the process called Lava 
AVork, is simple as well as 
fascinating. By it, any bot- 
tle, jar, or vase may be 
made into an ornamental ob- 
ject. Care should be taken 
to have it of graceful out- 
line, for much of the beauty 
when finished depends on 
this. The material used for 
this purpose is a paste or 
cement, known as Vesuvium, 
It is soft and sticky when 
first exposed to the air, al- 
lowing the worker to display 
taste in placing it. The hardening prbcess soon begins, 
though not as rapidly as with plaster of Paris ; and, in a 
day or two, it becomes hard without being brittle. A 
palette knife is required for applying the paste, which is 
put on about one-half inch thick, without any effort at 
smoothness or regularity; and afterwards the knife is 
used to pull and push it around into odd and fantastic 
shapes — the more varied the better — such as caves, rocks, 
peaks, points, etc. Buttons having colored centres, or 
13 




FIG. 177.— ORNAMENTED 
BUCKET. 



194 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 




FIG. 178. — JAR DECORATED WITH LAVA WORK. 



FIG. 179.— ORNAMENTED PAIL. 



HINTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK. 195 

stones, can be inserted, while the cement is soft, where- 
ever desired, or where they will improve the general ap- 
pearance. This cement is free from oil or turpentine 
and has no unpleasant odor, nor does it require mixing, 
for it is ah-eady prepared, which makes it convenient for 
home use. It also adheres firmly to wood, and a com- 
mon pine frame can be made into one of real beauty, 
Avhich would .adorn any parlor. At Fig. 177 is seen an 
ornamented bucket, Fig. 178 represents a jar to which a 
bow of ribbon is tied, and in Fig. 179 is shown an orna- 
mented water-pail. 



DECORATED BASKETS. 

The small wicker baskets made to hold newspapers 
may be made highly decorative by a little trimming. 
Tlie square basket shown in Fig. 180 has pads made of 




Fia. 180.— ORNAMENTED SQUARE WICKER BASKET. 

muslin to fit the sides. These are <?overed on the out- 
side with dark red plush ornamented with daisies and 
grasses worked in crewels. A cord sewed on furnishes 
the edge, and a bow is tied on each side of the handle. 



106 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

The basket shown in Fig. 181 also has pads fitted on it. 
These are of muslin covered with peacock- blue plush, 




FIG. 181.— FANCY WHICKER BASKET. 

and finished on the bottom with a heavy fringe. A large 
bow is tied in the middle of the handle. 

CARRIAGE ROBES. 

The carriage robe represented in Fig. 182 is something 
new, and very easily made. The material is called '' bil- 
liard cloth," which is just about the right weight for 
spring and summer. It is pinked around the edges, 
and a strip an inch and a half wide pinked on one edge 
to correspond with it. The edge is turned up and 
stitched down on the right side, the darker strip being 
set under it, as seen in the engraving. The design in 
the centre and the initials are first stamped on, and em- 
broidered with brown crewel, half in outline, and half 
solid stitch. A light-gray, or tan-color, are the most 
fashionable shades for the robes, but blue and green are 



HIKTS FOR DECORATIVE WORK 



197 



seen also, to match the upholstery of the carriage. 
Three designs for robes are shown in Fig. 183. The 




FIG. 182. — CARllIAGE KOBE. 



middle one is made of an all-wool rose blanket dyed a 
dark rich color. It is bound with braid. The orna- 







^ 



FIG. 183.— THREE DESIGNS FOR CARRIAGE ROBES, 

ment in the centre is a diamond-shaped piece of velveteen 



198 OUR homes; how to beautify them. 

blind-stitched upon the blanket. The owner's initial 
and a few peacock feathers are embroidered on it. The 
lower is of light brown cloth with worsted fringe of the 
same color. The initials are worked in a darker shade 
of brown, and bands of cloth the same shade are stitched 
across each end. The pattern on the left is also of 
cloth, but ornamented with a diagonal band of light 
olive-green, across which an effective trail of a vine is 
worked in red. It is bound around the edge with braid. 



Alphabetical Catalogue 

0. Judd Co., David W. Judd, Pres't, 



I® PUBLISHERS AND IMPORTERS OF, 



All Works pertaiiiiiig to Rural Life. 



F 4 IS 11 AI^]> 4iiAK1>E:i^. 

Allen, R. L. and L. F. Now Aim-rican Farm Book $2.50 

Amer'lcan Farmer's Hand Book 2.50 

Asparagus Culture. iUx.cioUi .50 

Bamford,C. E. SilkCulture. Paper 30 

Barry P. 'riu- Fmit Gaidon. New and Revised Edition 2.00 

Bomrrier. Method of Maldug Manures 25 

Brackett. Fat-m Talk. Paper 50c. Clotli 75 

Brill. Fann-Gardeiiinu- and Seed-Growiiii;: 1.00 

-' Cauliliowers 20 

Broom-Corn and Brooms so 

Curtis on Wheat Culture. P^ipei 50 

Emerson and Flint. Manual of Agriculture 1.50 

Farm Appliances lOO 

Farm Conveniences i-50 

Farming for Boys 125 

Farming for Profit •• 3.75 

FitZ. Sweet Potato Culture. New and Enlarged Edition. Clotii 60 

Flax Culture. P^iper 30 

French. FanuDrainage 1.50 

Fuller, A. S. Practical Forestry 150 

Propagation of Plants 1-50 

Gregory. On Cal)bages 30 

On Carrots, Mangold Wnrtzels, etc 30 

On Fertilizers '. 40 

On Onion Raising 30 

On Squashes 30 

Harris Joseph. Gardening for Young and Old 1.25 

— L TallvS on Manures. New and Revised Edition. .. 1.75 



2 0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 

Henderson, Peter. Gardening for Pleasure New Enlarged edition 2.00 

Gardening for Profit. New and Enlarged Edition. 2.00 

Garden and Farm Topics 1.50 

Hand Book of Plants 3.00 

Practical Floriculture. New and Enlarged Edition 1.50 

Henderson & CrOZier. How tlie Farm Pays 2.50 

Hop Culture. New and Revised Edition. Paper 30 

Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening. Vols, i., n. and 

111. Each 5.00 

Johnson, M. W. How to Plant. Paper 50 

Johnson, Prof. S. W. How Crops Feed 2.00 

How Crops Grow 2.00 

Jones, B. W. The Peanut Plant. Paper 50 

Lawn Planting. Paper 25 

Leiand. Farm Homes, In-Doors, and Out-Doors. New Edition 1.50 

Long, Elias A. Ornamental Gardening for Americans 2.00 

Morton. Fanner's Calendar 5.00 

Nichols- Chemistry of Farm and Sea 1.25 

Norton, Elements of Scientific A<,'riculture 75 

Oemler. Tiuck-Farminjr at the South 1.50 

Onions* How to Raise them Profitably 20 

Our Farm of Four Acres. Paper 30 

Pabor, Wntl. E Colorado ag an Agricultural State 1.50 

Parsons. On fho Rose 1.50 

Pedder. Land Measurer for Farmers. Cloth 60 

Plant Life on the Farm- loo 

Quinn. Money in the Garden 1.50 

Riley. Potato Pests. Paper 50 

Robinson. Facts for Farmers . 5.00 

Roe. Play and Profit in my Garden 150 

Roosevelt. Five Acres Too Much 1.50 

Sheehan, Jas. YourPlants. Paper 40 

Silos and Ensilage- New and Enlarged Edit' an ^ .50 

Starr. Farm Echoes 1.00 

Stewa rt. irrigation for the Farm, Garden and Orchard 1 .50 

Stewart. Sorghum and its Products 1..50 

Ten Acres Enough i.w 

The Soil of the Farm i oo 

Thomas. Farm Implements and Machinery 1.50 

Tim Bunker Papers; or, Yankee Farming 1.50 

Tobacco Culture. Paper 25 

Treat, injurious Insects of the Farm and Garden 2.00 

Ville. School of Chemical Manures 1.25 

High Fanning without Manures 25 

Artificial Manures . 6.00 

Waring. Book of the Fiirm 2.00 

Draining for Profit and Health 1.50 

Waring. Elements of Agriculture 1.00 

Farmers' Vacation 3.00 

Sanitary Drainage of Houses and Towns 2.00 

Sanitary Condition in City and Country Dwellings 50 

Warington. Chemi^^try of the Farm 1.00 

White. Gardening for the South 2.00 



0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 



FRUITS, FI.OWKRS, ETC. 

American Rose Culturist 30 

American Weeds and Useful Plants 

Bailey. Field Notes on Apple Culture 75 

Black. The Cultivation of the Peach and the Pear on ihe Delaware 

and Chesapeake Peninsula 1 50 

BouSSingault. Rural Economy ._ 160 

Chorlton. Giape-Grower's Guide. New and Enlar<,u;d Edition 75 

Collier, Peter. Soriilmm, ItsCultnreand Manuructnrc 3.00 

Common Sea Weeds. Boards so 

Downing. Piuits and Fruit Trees of America. New Edition 5.00 

Rural Essays 3.00 

Elliott. Hand Boole lor Fruit-Gioweis. Paper fiOc. Cloth I.OO 

Every Woman her own Flower Gardener 1.00 

Fern Book for Everybody 50 

Fuller, A. S. Grape Culturist 1.50 

Illustrated Strawberry Culturist 25 

Small Fruit Culturist. New Edition 1.50 

Fulton. Peach Culture. New and Revised Edition 1.50 

Heinrich. window Flower Garden 

Hibberd, Shirley. The Amateur's Plower Garden 2.50 

The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory. 2 50 

The Amateur's Rose Book 2. .50 

Hoopes. Book of Everj,TeeMs 3.OO 

Husmann,Prof.CeO. American Grape growing and Wine Making 1.50 

Johnson, winter Greeneries at Home 1.00 

Meech, Rev. W. W. Quince Culture 

Moore, Rev. J. W. Orange Culture 1.00 

My Vineyard at Lakeview 1.25 

Origin of Cultivated Plants • 1.75 

Quinn. Pear Culture for Profit. New and Revised Edition I.OO 

Rivers. Miniatuie Fruit Garden 1.00 

Rixford. Wine Press and Cellar .... 1..50 

Robinson. Ferns in their Homes and Ours 1.50 

Roe. Success with Small Fruits 2.50 

Saunders, insects injurious to Fruits 3 00 

Thomas. American Fmlt Culturist 2.00 

Vick. Flower and Vegetable Garden. Cloth.. 1.00 

Webb, Jas. Cape Cod Cranberries. Paper 40 

White. Cranberry Culture 1.25 

WilliamS) B. S. Orchid Grower's Manual., 0.50 

Wood, Samuel. Modern window Gardening 1.25 




(sC V^ 



0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 



CATTJLE, .SHEKP, ANI> SWIiliE. 

Allen, L. F. American Cattle. New and Revised Edition 2.50 

Armatage, Prof. Ceo. Every Man His Own Cattle Doctor. Svo.. 7.50 

Armsby. Manual of Caltle Feeding 2.50 

Cattle. Tiie Varieties, Bi-eedin<r, and Management 75 

Coburn, F. D. Swine Husbandry. New and Revised Edition 1.75 

Clok. Diseases of Siieep 1.25 

Dadd, Prof. Ceo. H, American Cattle Doctor. 12mo 1.50 

American Cattle Doctor. Svo. Clotli 2.50 

Fleming. Veterinary Obstetrics G.OO 

Cuenon. On Milch Cows ^ 1.00 

Harris, Joseph. On tiiePig ' i 50 

Heatley, C. S. Every Man his Own Veterinarian. 12mo 2.50 

Jennings. OnCattle and then- Diseases 125 

On Sheep, Swine, and Poultry, 1.25 

Jersey, Alderney, and Cuernsey Cow i 50 

Keeping One Cow i.oo 

Macdonald. Food from llie Far West 1.50 

McClure. Diseases of the American Horse, Cattle, and Sheep 1.25 

McCombie, Wm. cattle and Cattle Breeders 1.50 

Martin, R. B. Hog-Raising and Pork-Maliing 40 

Miles. Stock Breeding 1.50 

Powers, Stephen. The American Merino for Wool and Mutton. 

A piactical and valiial)le work 1.50 

Quincy, Hon. Josiah. On Soiling Cattle 1.25 

Randall. Ei"e Wool sheep Husbandry 1.00 

Practical Shepherd 2.00 

ReaSOr. On the Hog 1..50 

Sidney. OuthePig 50 

Sheldon, J. P. Dairy Farming. Being the Theory, Practice and 

Methods of Dairying. With 25 Colored Plates. 4to. Full Gilt 8.00 

Shepherd, Major W. Prairie Experience in Handling Cattle... 1.00 

Stewart, Henry. Shepherd's Manual. New and Enlarged Edition.. 1.50 

Stewart, E. W. FeedingAnimals 2.00 

The Sheep, its Varieties and Management. Boards .75 

Willard, A. A. Practical Dairy Husbandry. Svo. Cloth 3.00 

Practical Butter Book. A Complete Treatise on 

Butter-Making. 12mo. Cloth 1.00 

Youatt. OnSheep 1.00 



I>OOS, ETC. 
Burgess. American Kennel and Sporting Field. Svo 3.00 

Dog-The Varieties and Management 50 

Dogs of Creat Britain, America, and Other Coun- 
tries, Compiled from Stonelienge and other Standard Writers. Tlie 

most Complete Work ever Published on the Dog. 12mo 2.00 

Floyd, Wm. Hints on Dog Breaking. 12mo 50 

Forrester, F. Tiie Dol', l>y Dinks, Mayhew. and Hutchinson. 8vo.. 3.00 
HallOCk, C. Dog Fanciers' Directory and Medical Guide. ISmo 25 



0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 5 

* 

Hammond, S. Do<? Tminin?. 12mo 1.00 

Hill, J. W. M.iiia!L,'t"inent and Diseases of the Dog. 12nio 2.00 

Hooper, J. J. Doy and Gun. Paper 30 

Hutchinson, G. N. Do-- Breakino-. 8vo 3.00 

IdStone. TlieDo-;-, Illu!?trated. 12ino..... 1.25 

Laverack, E. The Setter. 4lo 3.00 

Mayhew, E. Do^s ; Their Mana-eniont. ItJnio 75 

Points for Judging Different Varieties of Dogs. 

P-dpev 50 

Richardson. Do-s; Their Origin and Varieties. Pap /r 30c. Cloth .00 

Shaw, T. Vero. illustrated Book of tlie Dog. 4to 8.00 

Stables, Gordon. Our Friend the Dog. Svo 3.00 

Practical Kennel Guide 1..50 

Ladies' Dogs as Comi)an ions 2.00 

Stonehenge. Tlie Dog in Healtli and Disease. Svo.. 3.00 

Dogs of tiie British Islands. Svo 6.00 

Tlie Greyhound 5.50 

Youatt. OutheDog. Svo 2.50 



HORii^ES, RII>I]VQ, ETC. 

Anderson, E. L. Modern Horsemanship. Svo 7.00 

The Gallop. • 4to. Paper 1.00 

Armatage, Geo. Every Man His Own Horse Doctor, togetlier \vi;li 

Blaine's Veterinary Art. Svo. J morocco 7.50 

Armatage. Geo. Horse Owner and Stahleman's Companion. 12nio 1..50 

Baucher, F. Niw Metliod of Horsemansliip. 12ino l.UO 

Battersby, Col. J. C. The Bridie Bits. A valuable little work 

on horsemanship. Fully illustrated. 12mo 1.00 

Bruce. Stud-Book. 4 vols :;.-).oo 

Chawner, R. Diseasesof the Horse and How to Treat Them. 12ino l.'o 

Chesterw Complete Trotting and Pacing Record 10.1)0 

Dadd, G. H. American Reformed Horse Book. -Svo 2. .50 

Modern Horse Doctor. 12mo I..o0 

Day, W. The Race Horse in Training. Svo 0.25 

Du Hays, C. Percheron Horse. New and Revised Edition. 12mo.. 1.00 

Durant. Horseback Riding ].'25 

Famous Horses of America, ciotii. 4to i.so 

Fleming, George, F. ^.,0. v. S. The Practical Horse Keeper. 

12m... Cloth 2.00 

Cleason, O. R. How to Handle and Educate Vicious Horses 50 

Going, J. A. V^eterinary Dictionary. 12mo 2.00 

Heatley, Geo. S. Every Man His Own Veterinarian 2.50 

Helm, H. T. American Roadsters and Trotting Horses. Svo 5.00 

Herbert, H. W. Hints to Horse Keepers. 12mo... 1.T5 

Horse, The; Its Varieties and Management. Boards To 

Howden, P. How to Buy and Selltiie Horse. 12ino 1.00 

Jennings, R. Horse Training Made Easy. lOuio 1.25 

The Horse and His Diseases. 12mo 1.25 



0. JUDD CO/S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 

Lehndorff, G. Horse Breeding Recollections. Hanusomely Illus- 
trated. 8vo. Cloth 1.25 

Liautard. Chart of Age of Domestic Animals 50 

Animal Castration. 12ino 2.00 

Manning. The Illnstrated Stock Doctor 5.00 

May hew, E. illustrated Horse Management. 8vo 3. 00 

" Horse Doctor. 8vo ... 3.00 

McClure, R. Diseases of American Horses. 12mo 1.25 

American Guntleman's Stable Guide. 12mo 1.00 

Miles W. On the Horse's Foot. 12mo 

Rarey. Horse Tamer and Farrier. 16mo 50 

Riding and Driving 20 

Riley, H. On the Mule. 12mo 1..50 

Russell. Scientific Horse-Shoeing 3.00 

Saddle Horse, The. Complete Guide to Riding and Training 1.00 

Saunders. Horse Breeding. 12mo 2 00 

Stewart, R. American Farmer's Horse Book. 8vo 3 00 

Stonehenge. Every Horse Owner's Cycloptedla. 8vo 3.75 

On the Horse in the Stable and the Field. English 

Edition. Svo 3.50 

On the Horse in the Stable and the Field. American 

Edition. 12mo 2.00 

Tellor. Diseases of Live stock. Cioth, 2.50; Sheep 3 00 

Wallace. American stud Book. Per Volume lO.t.O 

Williams. Veterinary Medicine 5.00 

Veterinary Surgery 7.50 

Woodruff. Tlie Trotting Horse in America. 12mo 2.50 

Woods, Rev. J. C. Horse and Man 2..50 

Youatt A, Skinner. The Horse. Svo 1.75 

Youatt & Spooner. " " i2mo 1.50 



Cook Prof. A. J. Bee-Keeper's Guide or Manual of the Apiary 1.25 

Cooper, Dr. J. W. Game Fowls 5.00 

Corbett. Poultry Yard and Market. Paper .50 

Felch, I. K. Poultry Culture .. 1.50 

Johnson, C. M. S. Practical Poultry Keeper. Paper 50 

Kin**. Bee-Keeper's Text Book 1.00 

LangStroth. On the Honey and Hive Bee 2.00 

Poultry. Breeding, Rearing, Feeding etc. Boards 50 

Profits in Poultry and their Profitable Manage- 
ment. Most complete Work extant 1.00 

Quinby. Mysteries of Bee-Keeping Explained (Edited by L. C. Root). 1.50 

Renwick. Thermostatic incubator. Paper 36c. Clorh 50 

Root, A. I. A, B,C, of Bee Culture 1.25 

Standard Excellence in Poultry 100 

Stoddard. An Egg-Farm. Revised and Enlarged .50 

Wright. Illustrated Book of Poultry 5.00 

. Practical Poultry-Keeper 2.00 

Practical Pigeon Keeper — 1.50 



0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 7 

Our Sportsman's Books 



.50 



Ar\GI.irv«, FISHIirc^, ETC. 

Burgess, J. T. Practical Guide to Bottom Fishin" Trolling 
Spi nninji, Fly, and Sea Fishing. 8vo ' 

Fish Hatching and Fish Catching. By itooseveit and 

Green. 12mo ^ 

Forester, F. Fish and Fishing. New Edition. 8vo.!........"! 2 50 

Fishing with Hook and Line. Paper.... 35 

Fysche and Fysshynge, from the Boke of St. Albans 1*00 

Hamilton, M. D. Fly Fishing. 12mo 1«5 

Harris. The Sciemific Angler— Foster j'^q 

Henshall, J. A. a Book of the Black Bass. 8vo". ....'". .*' gQQ 

Keene, J.H. Fly-Fishing and Fly-Making. ISrno. Just Published 150 

Practical Fisherman. 12mo " 4'oQ 

King, J. L. Troiitin- on the Brule Eiver. 12mo 150 

Norrls, T. American Fish culture. 12mo ...^... ...... 175 

American Angler's Book. 8vo 550 

Orvis, Charles F. Fishing with the Fly. Crown 8vo. ^ !*.!.. !!.* 250 

Pennell, H. C. Bottom; or, Float Fishing. Boards 50 

Fly-Fishing and Worm-Fishing. Boards'...'!"!!' 50 

Trolling for Pike, Salmon, and Trout. Boards! 50 

Prime. I go a Fishing "" g'g^ 

Random Casts 'rom an Anglers Note Book !!!!!!!!!' 50 

Roosevelt, R. B. Game Fish of the Northern States and British 

Provinces. 12mo 2 00 

Superior Fishing; or, the Striped Bass, Trout, 

Black Bass, and Blue Fish of the Northern 

States. 12mo. 2 00 

Roosevelt &, Green. Fish Hatcliins and Fish Catching!!!!.!!!!! 150 

Slack, J. H. Practical Trout Culture. 12mo T.!.!!!! ! i OO 

Scott, C. C. Fishing in American Waters. 8vo !!!!!!!!!.!! 2 50 

Walton & Cotton. Complete Angler. 8vo !!!.!!!!!! 5.00 

" " Bohn 2.00 

" " Chandos 1.50 

" " 12mo an 



«OATir¥G, C4]^OEirV« SAIEIIVCJ, ETC. 

Canoeing in Kanuckia. i2mo 75 

Fellows, H. P. Boatin- Trips on New England Rivers. 12mo...!! l.'ss 

Frazar, D. Praciical Boat Sailing. l6mo l!oo 

Henshall, J. A. Camping and Cruising in Florida. 12mo 1.50 

Kemp, Dixon. Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing (the Standard 

Authority). Boyal 8vo. Illustrated. 10 00 



8 0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 

Kemp, Dixon. Yacht Designing. Folio 25.00 

Kunhardt, D. T. Small Yachts. 4t(), 14^ X 12>^ 7.00 

PresCOtt, C. E. The Sailing Boat, Ibmo 25 

Steele, T. S. Cauoe and camera. 12mo 1.50 

Swimming. Routiedge 20 



fie:£.i> sports ai^o i^atijral. history. 

American Bird Fancier. Eniai-ed edition 50 

Adams, H. C. Favorite Son <,^ Birds 1.50 

Archer, Modern. Paper 15 

Bailey. Onr Own Birds 1.50 

Bird-Keeping. Fully illustrated 1.50 

Brown. Taxidermy 1.00 

Canary Birds. New and Revised Edition. Paper, 50c. Cloth 75 

Coues. Key to North American Birds New Edition. 7.50 

Cocker. Manual 1.50 

Edwards. Rabbits 1.25 

Coode and Atwater. Menhaden 2.00 

Holden. BoukotBirds 25 

Lawn Tennis Hand Book 75 

Lucas. Pleasures of a Pige(m Fancier 1.50 

Packard, Guide to study of Insacls 5.OO 

Half Hour Insects 2.50 

Common Insects.. 1.50 

Practical Rabbit Keeper iso 

Swimming, Skating and Rinking 25 

Van Doren. Fishes of the East Atlantic Coast 1.50 

Warne. Angling?. Boards 50 

Wilson. American Ornithology. 3 vols 18.00 

Wilson and Bonaparte. American ornithology. Ivol 7.50 



IIIIilfTIMCJ, SIlOOTI.lfO, ITSHir%«, ETC. 

Adirondacks Guide. Wallace 2.00 

Amateur Trapper. Boards 75 

Batty, J. H. IIow to Hunt and Trap. 12mo ].50 

Practical Taxidermy. 12mo 1..50 

Barber. CracU Slmt— the Rifleman's Guide. 12mo 1.25 

Bogardus, Capto Field, Cover, and Trap Shooting. 12mo 2.00 

BumStead. On the Wing 1..50 

Dead Shot, a Treatise on the Gun 1.25 

Farrow. How to Become a Ciack Shot. 12mo ].00 

Forester, F. Life and Writings— D. W. ,Tudd. 2 volumes. 8vo.... 3.00 

Field Sports. 2 volumes. 8vo 4.00 

Complete Manual for Young Sportsmen. 8vo 2.00 

American Game in its Season. 8vo 1.50 

Cildersleeve, H, A. Rifles and Markmansbip. 12mo.,. .,, 1.50 



ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 9 

Cloan. The Breech-loader 125 

Gouldy J. M. IIow to Camp Out. lOmo 75 

Greener, W. W. Choke Bore Guns. 8vo 3.OO 

The Gun and its Development 2.50 

Cun, Rod, and Saddle. 'Ubiqne" 1,00 

Hal lock. Sportsman's Gazeieer and General Guide— A Treatise on all 
Game and Fish of North America. Instruction in Shooting, Fishini:, 
Taxidermy, and Woodcraft, with Directory of Principal Game Re- 
sorts and Maps. New and Revised Edition. 12mo 3.00 

Henderson, H. Practical Hints on Campinsi-, 12mo 1.25 

Lewis, E. J. The American Sportsman. 8vo 2.60 

Murray. Adventures in the Wilderness. 12mo I.05 

Murphy, J. M. American Game Bird Shooting. 12mo .. 2.00 

Pistol, The— How to Use. 12mo 50 

PresCOtt, C. E. Practical Hints on Rifle Practice with Military 

Arms ;-Q 

Roosevelt, R. B. Florida, and the Game Water Birds of the Atlan- 

lic ('oast and Lakes of the United States. 12mo 2.00 

Samuels. Birds of New England and Adjacent states. 4.00 

Shooting on the Wing. i6mo 75 

Smith, George Putnam." The Law of Field Sports J. 00 

Stonehenge. Kural Sports— The Standard Encyclopedia of Field 

Sports, ^morocco. 8vo 5.00 

Thrasher, H. Hunter and Trapper. 12mo 7.-, 

Wingate, G. W. Manual for Rifle Practice. 16mo 1.50 

Woodcraft. " Nessmuck." 12mo 1.00 



ARCHITECTURE, ETC. 

Allen, L. F. R"i'<il Architecture... 1.50 

American Cottages 5.00 

Ames. Alphabets 1.50 

AtWOOd. Country and Sul)nrban Houses 150 

Barn Plans and Out-Buildings 1.50 

Bell. Carpentry Made Easy 5.00 

Bicknell. Cottage and Villa Architecture 4 00 

Detail Cottage and Constructive Architecture 6.00 

Modern Architectural Designs and Details . lO.OG 

Public Buildings New 2..50 

Street, Store, and Bank Fronts. New 2.50 

School-House and Church Architecture 2. .50 

Stables, Out-l)uildings, Fences, etc 2.50 

Brown. Building, Table and Estimate Book 1.50 

Burn. Drawing Books, Architectural. Illlustrated and Ornamental. 

3 Vols. EmcIi 1.00 

Cameron. Plasterer's Manual 75 

Camp. How Can I Learn Architecture 50 

Copley. Plain and Ornamental Alphabets 3 00 

Cottages. Hints on Economical Building 1,00 



10 0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 

CummingS. Architectural Details 6.00 

Elliott. Hand Book of Practicai Landscape Gardening 1.50 

Eveleth. School-House Architectme 4.00 

Fences, Gates and Bridges i.oo 

Fuller. Artistic Homes 4.50 

Gil more, Q. A. Roads and Street Pavements 2.50 

Gould. American Stair-Builder's Guide 2.50 

Carpenter's and Builder's Assistant 2.50 

Hodgson, steel Square I.OO 

Holly. Art of Saw Filing 75 

Harney. Barns, Out-Buildings, and Fences 4,00 

Hulme. Mathematical Drawing Instruments 1.50 

HuSSey. Home Building 2.50 

National Cottage Architecture 4.00 

Homes for Home Builders. JustPuhlished. Fully Illustrated, 1,50 

Interiorsand Interior Details 7.5o 

La key. Village and Country Houses .,.. 5.00 

Modern House Painting 5.oo 

Monckton. National Carpenter and Joiner 5.00 

National Stair-Builder 5.00 

Painter, Gilder, and Varnisher's Companion i so 

Palliser. American Cottage Homes 3.00 

Model Homes 1.00 

Useful Details 2.00 

Plummer. Carpenters' and Builders' Guide 75 

Powell. Foundations and Foundation Walls 2.00 

Reed . cottage Houses 1.25 

House Plans for Everyhody. .. 1.50 

Dwellings 3.00 

Rid del I. Carpenter and Joiner Modernized 7.50 

New Elements of Hand Railing 7.00 

Lessons on Hand Railing for Learners 5.00 

Rural Church Architecture 400 

Scott. Beautiful Homes 2.50 

Tuthill. Practical Lessons in Architectural Drawing 3.00 

Weidenmann. Beautifying Country Homes. A superb quarto Vol , 10.00 

Woodward. Cottages and Farm Houses 1.00 

Country Homes 1.00 

National Architect, Volumes 1 and 2. Each 7.50 

Suburban and Country Houses 1.00 



Send your address immediately on a postal card for 
our 32mo. finely illustrated Catalogue of some 300 Itural 
Books, and it will be sent you, FREE, by the Publishers. 

0. JUDD CO., DAVID W. JUDD, Pres't. 

751 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 063 620 4 • 



^^^^ 







